There’s a date-and-number mix-up in this title: the New York Times Connections puzzle published on October 8, 2024 was Puzzle #485. Puzzle #484 appeared on October 7. This page starts with the hints and answers for the October 8 puzzle, then includes a separate section for anyone looking for #484.
Connections #485 hints for October 8, 2024
Try these spoiler-free clues before looking at the category names and answers:
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- Yellow: Think of Halloween.
- Green: These words can mean to stop, reject, or restrict something.
- Blue: These are things found on written sheet music.
- Purple: Put the words after “candy.”
Connections #485 answers
The four groups for the October 8 puzzle are:
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| HALLOWEEN SYMBOLS | BAT, PUMPKIN, SPIDER, WITCH |
| PROHIBIT | BAN, BLOCK, DENY, FORBID |
| FOUND ON SHEET MUSIC | ACCIDENTAL, NOTE, REST, STAFF |
| CANDY ___ | APPLE, BAR, CANE, CORN |
HALLOWEEN SYMBOLS
BAT, PUMPKIN, SPIDER, WITCH are all familiar Halloween-associated symbols. The group is based on cultural associations rather than a single word pattern.
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PROHIBIT
BAN, BLOCK, DENY, FORBID can each describe stopping, rejecting, or preventing something. “Ban” and “forbid” are especially direct synonyms, while “block” and “deny” can describe restricting access or permission.
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FOUND ON SHEET MUSIC
ACCIDENTAL, NOTE, REST, STAFF are standard terms used in written musical notation. A note represents a musical sound, a rest represents silence, a staff is the set of lines used to write music, and an accidental changes a note’s pitch.
CANDY ___
APPLE, BAR, CANE, CORN complete familiar phrases: candy apple, candy bar, candy cane, and candy corn.
Were you looking for Connections #484?
If you meant the puzzle number in the headline rather than the calendar date, #484 was published on October 7, 2024. Its entries and groups were different:
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|---|---|
| KNUCKLEHEAD | DING-DONG, DODO, YAHOO, YO-YO |
| CAR ONOMATOPOEIA | BEEP BEEP, PURR, SKRRT, VROOM |
| SOUNDS OF LAUGHTER | HAR-HAR, HOOT, WHOOP, YUK |
| FAMOUS PRIMATES | BUBBLES, GEORGE, KING KONG, KOKO |
KNUCKLEHEAD
DING-DONG, DODO, YAHOO, YO-YO can each be used to describe a foolish or silly person.
Rank #3
CAR ONOMATOPOEIA
BEEP BEEP, PURR, SKRRT, VROOM imitate automotive sounds or noises associated with driving. “Skrrt” represents the sound of tires or a sudden vehicle maneuver, while “purr” can describe the smooth sound of an engine.
SOUNDS OF LAUGHTER
HAR-HAR, HOOT, WHOOP, YUK are written or imitated sounds of laughter and amusement.
Rank #4
FAMOUS PRIMATES
BUBBLES, GEORGE, KING KONG, KOKO are names associated with famous primates or primate characters. Bubbles was Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee, George is the monkey from Curious George, King Kong is the fictional giant ape, and Koko was a well-known gorilla.
Why the puzzle number matters
Connections numbers are sequential, so a one-day difference changes the puzzle number as well as the answer grid. In this case, October 7 was #484 and October 8 was #485. If you arrived searching for “October 8” and saw the primate, car-sound, and laughter groups elsewhere, those answers belong to the previous day’s puzzle.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Connections answer for October 8, 2024?
October 8, 2024 was Connections #485. The categories were HALLOWEEN SYMBOLS; PROHIBIT; FOUND ON SHEET MUSIC; and CANDY ___.
What was Connections #484?
Connections #484 was published on October 7, 2024. Its groups were KNUCKLEHEAD; CAR ONOMATOPOEIA; SOUNDS OF LAUGHTER; and FAMOUS PRIMATES.
What were the yellow, green, blue, and purple groups for #485?
The yellow group was HALLOWEEN SYMBOLS, green was PROHIBIT, blue was FOUND ON SHEET MUSIC, and purple was CANDY ___.
The Bottom Line
For October 8, 2024, the correct puzzle is #485: BAT, PUMPKIN, SPIDER, WITCH; BAN, BLOCK, DENY, FORBID; ACCIDENTAL, NOTE, REST, STAFF; and APPLE, BAR, CANE, CORN.
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