From card games to NBA teams, today’s Connections puzzle spans sports, tech, and tricky wordplay — here are all the hints and answers you need.
What’s the Theme of Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle?
The NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 21 (#863) covers a wide range of topics — from card ranks to remote-controlled tech. If you got stuck, don’t worry. Some words had multiple meanings, making certain groupings harder to spot (looking at you, does).
Today’s NYT Connections Hints by Difficulty
🟨 Yellow Group Hint – Deal me in:
These are playing card ranks.
🟩 Green Group Hint – I can get that:
All relate to the idea of taking on tasks or responsibilities.
🟦 Blue Group Hint – Hoops:
Think NBA team names.
🟪 Purple Group Hint – The clicker:
Items that can be controlled by a remote.
Full Answers for Today’s NYT Connections (#863)
🟨 Yellow – Playing Cards
- Aces
- Jacks
- Kings
- Queens
These are four of the five traditional face/value cards in a standard deck.
🟩 Green – Takes On
- Addresses
- Does
- Handles
- Tackles
Each verb can mean to “take on” a task, issue, or challenge.
🟦 Blue – NBA Teams
- Bucks
- Bulls
- Hornets
- Spurs
All are team names in the National Basketball Association.
🟪 Purple – Controlled by Remote
- Drones
- Garage Doors
- Televisions
- Wiis
These devices can be operated with a remote or wireless controller.
Why Today’s Puzzle Was Tricky
Words like “does” and “handles” can fall into multiple categories depending on context. And unless you made the NBA connection quickly, you might’ve tried to force those team names into unrelated groups.
The purple group also tripped people up—grouping together tech-based devices that don’t always seem related at first glance.
