Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is a near-perfect morning warm-up: two literal, pictureable sets (remote control buttons and being “in the know”), one vocabulary cluster about boring repetition, and a delightfully sneaky letter trick involving famous one-name singers. If you want quick wins, lock the obvious groups first — the letter trick is the sweetest payoff.

NYT Connections Puzzle Overview: 28 October 2025

NYT Connections Hints: 28 October 2025

Category 1:
  • A word for something so old it’s fallen out of style.
  • A French-derived term for a tired phrase you hear all the time.
  • A one-word label critics use for unimaginative, repeated ideas.
  • A literary term for an overused motif or device.
Category 2:
  • A short adjective meaning “up to date” or informed.
  • A slangy, three-letter word for someone who’s trendy.
  • A word meaning clever, well-informed, and perceptive.
  • A classic synonym for having good judgment and experience.
Category 3:
  • Press this to go back to the previous screen.
  • The button you press to return to your streaming home.
  • Opens a list of options — settings, inputs, or choices.
  • The button you use to choose an item from a menu.
Category 4:
  • Add one letter and you get G + a legendary R&B/hip-hop singer (think “U + sher”).
  • Add a starting letter to a famous Irish singer whose name is pronounced like “En-ya.”
  • Stick on an initial and you turn Cher into a color word.
  • One added letter makes a rock-and-roll legend (remove the first letter and you’ll see him).

NYT Connections Answers: 28 October 2025

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

Quick Strategy & Closing Notes

This one’s tidy and fast if you follow a simple flow: spot the literal, pictureable groups (remote buttons and the “in the know” words) for immediate green squares. The banality set is vocabulary-based and usually follows quickly. Save the letter-play for last — once you recognize one example (e.g., Ocher → Cher), the pattern falls into place and it’s a delightful reveal.