Connections Hints

Monday, October 20, 2025

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — October 20, 2025

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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
← Back to hint toolLoad any date with the interactive hint ladder
Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

A
AS
BE
BIG BEAR
BUGBEAR
CAPRI
CENTAUR
COMPLEX
DEMON
HANG-UP
HUNTER
I
K
LYRE
POP
UNI
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Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

AFFLICTIONStraightforward
REPRESENTED BY CONSTELLATIONSModerate
PERIODIC TABLE SYMBOLSTricky
___CORNDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

AFFLICTIONStraightforward
THESE WORDS ALL MEAN A PERSISTENT WORRY OR PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSESSION+ 3 more…
REPRESENTED BY CONSTELLATIONSModerate
EACH OF THESE IS DEPICTED AS A CONSTELLATION IN THE NIGHT SKY+ 3 more…
PERIODIC TABLE SYMBOLSTricky
THESE TWO-LETTER ABBREVIATIONS APPEAR ON THE PERIODIC TABLE+ 3 more…
___CORNDevious
ADD A WORD BEFORE CORN TO COMPLETE A FAMILIAR COMPOUND WORD+ 3 more…
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Full solution
AFFLICTIONStraightforward
BUGBEAR,COMPLEX,DEMON,HANG-UP

BUGBEAR, COMPLEX, DEMON, and HANG-UP all refer to a persistent personal affliction, obsession, or source of anxiety.

REPRESENTED BY CONSTELLATIONSModerate
BIG BEAR,CENTAUR,HUNTER,LYRE

BIG BEAR (Ursa Major), CENTAUR (Centaurus), HUNTER (Orion), and LYRE (Lyra) are all figures represented by constellations.

PERIODIC TABLE SYMBOLSTricky
AS,BE,I,K

AS (Arsenic), BE (Beryllium), I (Iodine), and K (Potassium) are all chemical symbols from the periodic table of elements.

___CORNDevious
A,CAPRI,POP,UNI

ACORN, CAPRICORN, POPCORN, and UNICORN are all formed by adding CORN to A, CAPRI, POP, and UNI respectively.

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