The NYT Connections puzzle for October 2, 2025 blended playful commands, fair outcomes, everyday placements, and an Oscar-worthy lineup. This one tested solvers’ attention to meanings that overlap but belong to very different groups.

If you found yourself stuck between “UP” being a dog command or a Pixar film, you weren’t alone! Let’s break it all down with hints and solutions.

NYT Connections Puzzle:  2 October 2025 Overview

NYT Connections Hints: 2 October 2025

Category 1:
  • Heard often at obedience school.
  • Short, sharp, and direct.
  • Trainers rely on these for discipline.
  • Every pup has heard these words.
Category 2:
  • Synonyms for “earned properly.”
  • Can describe rewards, treatment, or justice.
  • Tied closely to morality and equity.
  • What you ought to receive.
Category 3:
  • Words describing position or arrangement.
  • Often interchangeable when talking about location.
  • Could be instructions for where things go.
  • “The book was ___ on the table.”
Category 4:
  • Beloved animated films with golden statuettes.
  • Pixar and Disney dominate here.
  • One is about a house with balloons.
  • Another involves letting it go.

NYT Connections Answers: 2 October 2025

Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Category 4:

Conclusion

October 2’s puzzle had a clean balance between logic and pop culture. The misdirection with “UP” and “DOWN” tripped up many solvers—dog training vs. movie night—but that’s the fun of Connections!