NYT Connections #863, for Tuesday, October 21, 2025, has four groups: PLAYING CARDS, TAKES ON, N.B.A. TEAMS, and THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL WITH REMOTES. Use the spoiler-layered clues below before viewing the complete answer.
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle for Tuesday, October 21, 2025, is game #863. The 16 tiles divide into four groups: playing-card ranks, verbs meaning “takes on,” NBA teams, and things operated with remotes.
Because this puzzle is from a past date, the complete solution is below. If you are solving along, stop at the hint level you need and avoid the answer table until you are ready.
Hints for NYT Connections #863
Yellow group
Deal ’em high, deal ’em low.
More directly: a standard deck contains these ranks.
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Green group
Are you up for it?
These words can mean accepting, confronting, or taking responsibility for something.
Blue group
Like Mike.
These are franchises in the National Basketball Association.
Purple group
Can you pass the ___?
These are devices or mechanisms that can be operated remotely.
The 16 tiles
BUCKS, DOES, BULLS, DRONES, QUEENS, HORNETS, ADDRESSES, TELEVISIONS, GARAGE DOORS, HANDLES, KINGS, JACKS, SPURS, ACES, TACKLES, WIIS.
NYT Connections answers for October 21, 2025
| Category | Words | How they fit |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow: PLAYING CARDS | ACES, JACKS, KINGS, QUEENS | These are the four rank names represented in a standard deck. |
| Green: TAKES ON | ADDRESSES, DOES, HANDLES, TACKLES | Each can describe taking on a task, issue, responsibility, or opponent. |
| Blue: N.B.A. TEAMS | BUCKS, BULLS, HORNETS, SPURS | These are the Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, and San Antonio Spurs. |
| Purple: THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL WITH REMOTES | DRONES, GARAGE DOORS, TELEVISIONS, WIIS | They can be operated with radio controls, garage-door remotes, television remotes, or Wii controllers. |
If the card category made you want to play a physical game rather than a digital puzzle, standard playing cards are the closest real-world counterpart. That is separate from solving Connections and is not required to play the NYT game.
Why this puzzle was tricky
The biggest traps were KINGS, ACES, and WIIS. KINGS and ACES can both evoke sports teams, while KINGS is also a card rank. However, the intended NBA group is specifically BUCKS, BULLS, HORNETS, and SPURS. ACES belongs with the other playing-card ranks.
WIIS is the unusual-looking plural tile. It refers to Nintendo Wii consoles or controllers and completes the remote-operated group alongside DRONES, GARAGE DOORS, and TELEVISIONS.
Rank #4
A sensible solving path
- Start with the card ranks. ACES, JACKS, KINGS, and QUEENS form a clean set of four.
- Look for the obvious NBA franchises. BUCKS, BULLS, HORNETS, and SPURS are all NBA team names.
- Recognize the “takes on” verbs. ADDRESSES, DOES, HANDLES, and TACKLES can all mean dealing with or accepting something.
- Use the remaining four tiles for the purple group. DRONES, GARAGE DOORS, TELEVISIONS, and WIIS are things that can be controlled remotely.
This order is a practical way to approach the grid, not an official NYT difficulty test or published solving requirement. Difficulty reports varied: one contemporary guide described the puzzle as hard after three mistakes, while other assessments placed it closer to moderate difficulty.
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- PLAYING CARDS: ACES, JACKS, KINGS, QUEENS
- TAKES ON: ADDRESSES, DOES, HANDLES, TACKLES
- N.B.A. TEAMS: BUCKS, BULLS, HORNETS, SPURS
- THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL WITH REMOTES: DRONES, GARAGE DOORS, TELEVISIONS, WIIS
Connections uses one intended grouping for each tile, so a word can have a plausible alternate association without belonging in that category. Here, separating the card ranks from the NBA names is the key to avoiding the puzzle’s most tempting misdirection.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the NYT Connections categories for October 21, 2025?
The four groups are PLAYING CARDS, TAKES ON, N.B.A. TEAMS, and THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL WITH REMOTES.
What is the purple answer in Connections #863?
The purple group is DRONES, GARAGE DOORS, TELEVISIONS, and WIIS.
Which Connections answers are playing-card ranks?
ACES, JACKS, KINGS, and QUEENS are the PLAYING CARDS group.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe Bottom Line
The October 21, 2025, NYT Connections answers are ACES, JACKS, KINGS, QUEENS for PLAYING CARDS; ADDRESSES, DOES, HANDLES, TACKLES for TAKES ON; BUCKS, BULLS, HORNETS, SPURS for N.B.A. TEAMS; and DRONES, GARAGE DOORS, TELEVISIONS, WIIS for THINGS YOU CAN CONTROL WITH REMOTES.
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