Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 2, #844.
CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.
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Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won “Headline Writer of the Year” award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism. Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.
Dog owners, once you saw a certain word (starts with “h”) in today’s NYT Connections puzzle, you probably knew the yellow category wasn’t too ruff. Yes, that’s a clue. Need more help? Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.
The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.
Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time
Hints for today’s Connections groupsHere are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Roll over! Shake!
Green group hint: You merited that reward.
Blue group hint: Where should it go?
Purple group hint: Cartoons, sure, but great ones.
Answers for today’s Connections groupsYellow group: Dog commands.
Green group: Deserved.
Blue group: Situated.
Purple group: Best animated feature Oscar winners.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today’s Connections answers? The completed NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 2, 2025.
NYT/Screenshot by CNETThe yellow words in today’s ConnectionsThe theme is dog commands. The four answers are come, down, heel and stay.
The green words in today’s ConnectionsThe theme is deserved. The four answers are due, fair, just and right.
The blue words in today’s ConnectionsThe theme is situated. The four answers are left, placed, put and set.
The purple words in today’s ConnectionsThe theme is best animated feature Oscar winners. The four answers are Brave, Flow, Frozen and Up.
Quick tips for Connections#1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. That helps you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors love to group words together that are used in similar phrasing, like ____ Up.
#2: Don’t go for the obvious grouping. These editors are smart. Once, they offered SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE and PANTS in the same puzzle. None of those words were in the same category. If you like, hit the “shuffle” button to give yourself a different perspective on the words.
#3: Break down any compound words and look for similarities. “Rushmore” was once in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.
