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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThe NYT Connections hints today for October 23, 2025, lead to game #865, with four groups named PEACHY, WINNINGS, PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT, and _____ BAG. The complete answers are DANDY, DUCKY, FINE, SWELL; KITTY, POT, PRIZE, PURSE; BALL, BIRDIE, PUCK, STONE; and DOGGY, GO, MIXED, SWAG.
This is an archived answer page for Thursday, October 23, 2025. The spoiler-aware clues below begin with the tile grid and become more specific before revealing every group and explanation.
Key takeaways
- NYT Connections game #865 is the archived puzzle for Thursday, October 23, 2025.
- The yellow group is PEACHY: DANDY, DUCKY, FINE, and SWELL.
- The green group is WINNINGS: KITTY, POT, PRIZE, and PURSE.
- The blue group is PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT: BALL, BIRDIE, PUCK, and STONE.
- The purple group is _____ BAG: DOGGY, GO, MIXED, and SWAG.
Spoiler note: The sections below move from the 16 tiles to progressively stronger clues, category names, and the complete solution. Stop before the next heading if you are still solving.
What are the 16 NYT Connections tiles for October 23, 2025?
The 16 tiles in Connections #865 are:
DOGGY · FINE · PRIZE · SWAG · STONE · KITTY · BALL · DUCKY · BIRDIE · GO · SWELL · PURSE · MIXED · POT · PUCK · DANDY
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The grid contains several tempting clusters. DOGGY, KITTY, DUCKY, and BIRDIE look like animal-related diminutives, while PRIZE and SWAG both suggest something won or received. Those apparent groups are red herrings rather than the final solution. The tile list and game number are also reported in the dated answer coverage for Connections #865.
What are the hints for Connections #865?
The category clues below are ordered from the least revealing to the most revealing:
| Group | Hint |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Everything’s hunky-dory. |
| Green | Victor’s spoils. |
| Blue | Like foil, crampon, dinghy, and flag. |
| Purple | Dirt, flea, and dust would all fit in here. |
What is one answer from each group?
One tile from each group gives these intermediate clues without revealing every answer:
Rank #2
| Group | One tile |
|---|---|
| Yellow | FINE |
| Green | POT |
| Blue | STONE |
| Purple | GO |
What are the category names for October 23?
The four category names for the October 23, 2025, puzzle are PEACHY, WINNINGS, PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT, and _____ BAG. The final category is completed by adding the word “bag” after each of its four tiles.
What are the complete Connections answers for October 23, 2025?
The complete answers for NYT Connections #865 are shown below. The color labels follow the puzzle’s usual difficulty order, from yellow through purple.
Yellow: PEACHY
DANDY · DUCKY · FINE · SWELL
These four words can describe something good, satisfactory, pleasant, or excellent. “Ducky” is the less familiar expression in the group: used this way, “just ducky” means satisfactory or fine. DANDY, FINE, and SWELL are more direct synonyms for the “peachy” idea.
Green: WINNINGS
KITTY · POT · PRIZE · PURSE
Each word can refer to money or valuables associated with winning. A kitty or pot can be the accumulated stake in a contest or game, a prize is the reward, and a purse is prize money. KITTY is especially useful as a trap because it resembles DOGGY and DUCKY, but KITTY belongs with the winnings group.
Blue: PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT
BALL · BIRDIE · PUCK · STONE
This group uses sports equipment broadly rather than naming one Olympic sport. A birdie is a badminton shuttlecock, a puck is used in ice hockey, and a stone is the heavy sliding piece used in curling. BALL completes the group. The badminton and curling references require more specific sports knowledge than the synonym-based yellow group.
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The terminology behind this group is also explained in TechRadar’s October 23 Connections guide.
Purple: _____ BAG
DOGGY · GO · MIXED · SWAG
Adding “bag” produces doggy bag, go-bag, mixed bag, and swag bag. This is the wordplay group, and it creates the strongest red-herring pressure in the puzzle. DOGGY initially seems to belong with KITTY, DUCKY, and BIRDIE, while SWAG may appear related to PRIZE; the shared BAG construction separates both tiles from those tempting alternatives.
Why are these groups difficult?
The four groups test different kinds of recognition rather than relying on one consistent theme.
| Group | What the solver must notice | Main trap |
|---|---|---|
| PEACHY | Four affirmative expressions or synonyms for something good | DUCKY may look like an animal word instead of a synonym |
| WINNINGS | Words connected with prize money, stakes, or rewards | SWAG can look like something won, but SWAG belongs in BAG |
| PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT | Recognizing birdie, puck, and stone in badminton, ice hockey, and curling | “Stone” is less obvious as sports equipment than “ball” |
| _____ BAG | Adding the same word to four different tiles | DOGGY competes with the animal-looking decoys |
The puzzle allows up to four incorrect guesses before the game is lost, so separating plausible associations before submitting a row matters. A practical solving order is to identify the straightforward synonym group first, reserve ambiguous animal words, then test the sports meanings and the BAG phrases.
How can you solve this puzzle without falling for the red herrings?
- Start with the clear positive words. FINE, DANDY, and SWELL point toward PEACHY. DUCKY completes that group once “ducky” is read as “fine” or “satisfactory.”
- Set aside the animal-looking words. DOGGY, KITTY, and DUCKY do not form a group because DUCKY is needed for PEACHY and KITTY belongs with WINNINGS.
- Look for money and contest language. POT, PRIZE, and PURSE suggest WINNINGS; KITTY supplies the fourth tile.
- Read the sports words by their specific meanings. BALL, BIRDIE, PUCK, and STONE are equipment terms across different sports.
- Use the remaining words as a phrase pattern. DOGGY, GO, MIXED, and SWAG all form familiar expressions when followed by BAG.
What is Connections, and where can you play it?
Connections presents 16 words, phrases, symbols, or numbers and asks players to sort them into four groups of four. The game deliberately includes red herrings, and players can make up to four incorrect guesses before losing.
Connections is one of the New York Times Games. The official New York Times Games help documentation says Games access includes Connections and an archive of previous puzzles for subscribers. The same help documentation lists Connections among the daily games available without a Games subscription; access rules and subscription details can change, so readers should check the current official terms.
Want more New York Times-style puzzles?
If you prefer screen-free puzzle solving, New York Times Games Puzzle Mania! is an official hardcover collection featuring Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis, and other puzzles. The book includes new spins on digital games such as Connections, but it is not a printed copy of the October 23, 2025, daily puzzle. The publisher’s New York Times Games Books catalog lists a $38.00 price for the hardcover; retailer price, stock, and availability may vary.
The Bottom Line
The October 23, 2025, NYT Connections answers for game #865 are PEACHY (DANDY, DUCKY, FINE, SWELL), WINNINGS (KITTY, POT, PRIZE, PURSE), PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT (BALL, BIRDIE, PUCK, STONE), and _____ BAG (DOGGY, GO, MIXED, SWAG).
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