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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Spoilers for Connections #844: The October 2, 2025, board groups into dog commands, deserved, situated, and Best Animated Feature Oscar winners. The full answer groups and a practical solving route are below.
Connections #844 answers at a glance
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Dog commands | COME, DOWN, HEEL, STAY |
| Green | Deserved | DUE, FAIR, JUST, RIGHT |
| Blue | Situated | LEFT, PLACED, PUT, SET |
| Purple | Best Animated Feature Oscar winners | BRAVE, FLOW, FROZEN, UP |
This is game #844, published for Thursday, October 2, 2025.
Why each Connections group works
Yellow: dog commands
These are familiar imperative cues used when training or directing a dog. Their command-like grammar makes this the strongest starting group on the board.
Green: deserved
Each word can describe something warranted, merited or properly owed. The words work as synonyms or near-synonyms for the idea of deserving an outcome.
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Blue: situated
These terms describe something that has been positioned or placed. They function as indicators of where something is or how it was put in a location.
Purple: Best Animated Feature Oscar winners
These are film titles that have won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The movie-title connection is less grammatical than the other groups, which is why it is easier to miss until the board is reduced.
A reliable way to solve this board
- Start with the commands. Look for words that can be spoken directly to a dog. Confirming the yellow group removes the most obvious imperative set.
- Test the merit or entitlement meanings. Among the remaining words, identify terms that mean warranted, fair or correct in context. This reveals the green group.
- Reassess the position vocabulary. With eight words gone, the terms describing something being placed or positioned form the blue group.
- Use the leftovers as titles. The final four words are recognizable animated-film names and complete the purple group.
The board’s main red herring
UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT appear to make a set of compass or movement directions. They do not belong together here. DOWN is a dog command, LEFT belongs to the situated group, RIGHT fits the deserved group, and UP is one of the animated-film titles. Separating those four words is the key to avoiding an early mistake.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How NYT Connections works
Connections is a free daily New York Times word game available on the NYT website and in the Games app. Each puzzle presents 16 words; arrange them into four categories of four. The color labels conventionally move from easier yellow groups toward harder purple groups, but the board may include red herrings, homophones and other wordplay. You can make three incorrect guesses; a fourth incorrect guess ends the game.
Quick Recap
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Tips for future puzzles
- Prefer a group with one clear meaning over a set linked only by a broad theme.
- Check each candidate against all four words rather than stopping after finding three plausible matches.
- Pay attention to grammatical role: commands, adjectives, position terms and proper titles behave differently.
- After confirming a group, reconsider every remaining word; a tempting pattern may have been deliberately split across categories.
- When four words look like a familiar list, ask whether one could instead be a title, verb or synonym in another group.
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