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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →NYT Connections puzzle #865, played Thursday, October 23, 2025, uses 16 tiles that divide into four groups of four. Start with the clues below if you still want to solve it yourself; the complete categories and answers are in the clearly marked spoiler section.
Hints for Connections #865
These clues move from least revealing to most revealing. Each points to one word in its group.
Yellow group
Think of a word meaning everything is hunky-dory or perfectly satisfactory.
Green group
Consider a phrase for the victor’s spoils: money or a reward collected after winning.
Blue group
Look for something that can be like foil, a crampon, a dinghy or a flag: each is an object associated with a sport.
Purple group
What kind of bag could hold dirt, fleas or dust? The answer completes a familiar two-word phrase.
Rank #2
Spoiler: the answers to Connections #865
Stop here if you are still solving. The four groups are:
| Category | Tiles | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| PEACHY | DANDY, DUCKY, FINE, SWELL | Words meaning good, satisfactory or excellent |
| WINNINGS | KITTY, POT, PRIZE, PURSE | Terms for winnings, a prize pool or a winner’s reward |
| PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT | BALL, BIRDIE, PUCK, STONE | Equipment used in Olympic sports |
| _____ BAG | DOGGY, GO, MIXED, SWAG | Each forms a phrase with “bag” |
Why each group works
PEACHY: DANDY, DUCKY, FINE and SWELL
All four can express approval or describe something as good. “Ducky” is the least familiar in modern everyday speech, but it can be used as an approving expression in the same broad sense as “fine” or “swell.”
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WINNINGS: KITTY, POT, PRIZE and PURSE
A kitty can be a pooled fund in a poker game, while a pot is the amount available to win. A prize is the reward itself, and purse can mean the winner’s payout, including in combat sports.
PIECES OF OLYMPIC SPORTS EQUIPMENT: BALL, BIRDIE, PUCK and STONE
“Birdie” is the shuttlecock used in badminton. A puck belongs to ice hockey, a stone is the sliding implement in curling, and a ball appears in several Olympic ball sports. The category is about sporting equipment rather than one single event.
_____ BAG: DOGGY, GO, MIXED and SWAG
The completed phrases are doggy bag, go bag, mixed bag and swag bag. Here, the tile does not share a definition with the others; it supplies the missing first word.
The red herring to watch for
DOGGY, KITTY, BIRDIE and DUCKY can all evoke animals or animal-like names. That tempting set is not a category in this puzzle. Before committing to an appealing association, look for four words that form stronger phrases or a more precise shared meaning.
How the daily Connections format works
Connections presents 16 words, phrases, symbols or numbers and asks you to sort them into four groups of four. The answer guides for this archived puzzle describe three incorrect guesses as allowed; a fourth wrong guess ends the game. Those guides also report that the game is free on the New York Times website or Games app, while the archive is available with an NYT Games or All Access subscription. Access rules can change, so check the New York Times for current terms.
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