The keywords "trope," "cliche," and "platitude" are trending because they were featured as a category in the popular New York Times word puzzle game, "Connections," specifically for the October 28th puzzle.

"Connections" is a daily game where players are given 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four, with each group sharing a common theme or association. The words "trope," "cliche," and "platitude" are related in that they all refer to overused expressions, ideas, or literary devices that lack originality.

Players often search for hints or answers online when they get stuck on a puzzle, which explains the related trending searches like "nyt connections hint" and "nyt connections answers october 28." For the October 28th puzzle, these three words, along with "chestnut," formed the "Banality" category, which was identified as the yellow (easiest) group. This makes it a common search for those trying to solve that day's puzzle.