Metaphors, bar events, farewells, and swindle - these words form today’s four clever groups.
Puzzle blends straightforward associations with tricky wordplay, keeping players engaged and thinking critically.
Using hints and observing patterns improves solving speed and accuracy in NYT Connections.
NYT Connections is a daily game of word association in which participants receive a 4x4 grid consisting of 16 words. The goal is to form four categories of words, each with four terms related to each other. Depending on their difficulty, different colors represent the categories: yellow (easiest), green, blue (moderate), and purple (most difficult). Players can make four incorrect guesses before the game is declared over. The game can be enjoyed for free on The New York Times website and through its mobile app.
Here are the 16 words for today’s puzzle:
PANDORA'S BOX
LUCKY STIFF
LIVE MUSIC
GOLDEN FLEECE
GOOD RIDDANCE
HAPPY HOUR
HORNET'S NEST
COMIC CON
KARAOKE
AMERICAN HUSTLE
SAYONARA
MINEFIELD
FINALLY
CAN OF WORMS
TRIVIA NIGHT
ABOUT TIME
Yellow Group — Metaphors for Potentially Volatile Situations
Hint: Situations that could easily turn chaotic or problematic.
Green Group - Bar Events
Hint: Typical convivial activities or events occurring at a pub or bar.
Blue Group — Words After a Welcome Departure
Hint: Usual expressions after someone leaves.
Purple Group — Ending with Synonyms for "Swindle"
Hint: Words that finish with the meaning of "swindle."
Correct groupings for today's puzzle are as follows:
Yellow Group (Metaphors for Potentially Volatile Situations):
CAN OF WORMS
HORNET'S NEST
MINEFIELD
PANDORA'S BOX
Green Group (Bar Events):
HAPPY HOUR
KARAOKE
LIVE MUSIC
TRIVIA NIGHT
Blue Group (Words After a Welcome Departure):
ABOUT TIME
FINALLY
GOOD RIDDANCE
SAYONARA
Purple Group (Ending with Synonyms for "Swindle"):
AMERICAN HUSTLE
COMIC CON
GOLDEN FLEECE
LUCKY STIFF
Check Out the Image Below to Learn How to Make the Sets of Today's Puzzle:
Today's NYT Connections puzzle was quite easy, rated 2 out of 5 on the difficulty scale. The yellow group, which dealt with metaphors for hot and cold situations, was easy. The green group, which revolved around the bar events, was also rather simple. The blue group, which is concerned with expressions after a person has left, might need some thinking. The purple group, which dealt with the words that end with the synonyms for "swindle," was the hardest, as it required knowing and using idioms and creative wordplay.
The NYT Connections puzzle of October 13, 2025, presents a nice combination of easy and difficult challenges within the different colored groups. The metaphorical expressions for volatile situations and bar event groups are easy to grasp. In contrast, the words coming after "welcome departure" and "swindle synonyms" groups give the players a tougher time. This puzzle is a perfect example of the game's capacity to interlace easy associations with more sophisticated linguistic connections, thus keeping the players alert and requiring them to think critically.
If you want to sharpen your connection skills, one way to do that is by concentrating on understanding common phrases and idiomatic expressions, especially for the difficult categories. Moreover, working on previous puzzles will bolster the development of a sharper perception of the subtle word associations.