What Daters Need to Know About Cuffing Season 2025

It’s nearly cuffing season – a time when many people think more deeply about romantic connections as the year winds down. While it's often portrayed in memes as a time for short-term relationships, it can be a meaningful time for people to connect and approach dating with intention.

As more daters seek clarity about what they want this season, Hinge’s Lead Relationship Scientist, Logan Ury (she/her), and Love and Connection Expert, Moe Ari Brown, LMFT (he/they), are here to help with a guide for navigating cuffing season with confidence and authenticity.

Q: When is cuffing season?

Cuffing season typically kicks off in early fall and extends through the winter months. Between August and November 2024, Hinge’s data showed that the most messages were sent in October, signaling that the momentum starts long before the temperatures drop.

Q: Is cuffing season just for short-term flings?

Logan Ury: Not at all. Cuffing season is the time of year when people slow down after the excitement of a busy summer and are ready to turn their focus to dating. What people are looking for is specific to them – some might be looking for short-term relationships, while others are seeking their forever person. My advice is to be upfront from the beginning about who you are and what you want, to make sure you find someone who is looking for the same thing.

Q: How can I prepare for cuffing season?

Moe Ari Brown: Although many people associate cuffing season with finding someone to be with in the colder months, it’s more than that. For a lot of us, it’s actually a season of longing, of craving closeness, of wondering, “Am I ready to let someone see the real me?” Here’s how you can begin to emotionally slow down and check in with yourself by asking these questions:

• What am I truly looking for right now? Is it connection, companionship, emotional depth, or clarity?
• What parts of myself do I want to show up when I’m with someone I like? Maybe it’s showing your playful side, embracing curiosity, or feeling present instead of distracted in the moment.
• What kind of energy do I want to give and receive in this chapter of my life? And how might you or others demonstrate that energy through specific actions and behaviors?

After you ask yourself these self-reflective questions, try asking your dates questions that align with the energy you want to cultivate. Start with your Hinge profile, and consider choosing prompts that show different sides of yourself. Or invite conversations about the cozy things you’d want to do on dates with your matches (e.g. Sunday pancakes, listening to your fall playlist, a movie marathon, or matching Halloween costumes). When you own what’s authentic for you, you date in a way that is aligned with your own rhythm and create space for intentionality to thrive alongside humor, creativity, and play.

Q: How can I make my profile stand out during cuffing season?

Logan Ury: Add Prompts that spark conversation and help the other person get to know you. Hinge data shows that these are the top 10 Prompts that lead to a date:

1. I go crazy for
2. The way to win me over
3. My simple pleasures
4. Together, we could
5. This year, I really want to
6. Dating me is like
7. Typical Sunday
8. A life goal of mine
9. I’m looking for
10. My most irrational fear

One of my key tips is to create a hook that makes it easy for people to respond to your Prompt. For example, for the Prompt “the quickest way to my heart” you might write “sharing snacks.” We could improve that response by making it more specific and easier for someone else to jump in and get the conversation rolling. For that same Prompt, you could expand to share, “Cooking together (I’ve been on a pasta kick). I’m always looking for new recipes, if you have any ideas!” Ending your response with an open-ended question or suggestion gives potential matches the chance to respond and build a conversation around what you truly care about.

Q: How do I make my intentions clear?

Logan Ury: Share what you’re looking for by adding a Dating Intention on your Hinge profile. 83% of Millennial daters and 75% of Gen Z Hinge daters say they check someone’s Dating Intention before liking them.

That said, people make assumptions. When someone else selects “Figuring Out My Dating Goals” as their Dating Intention, 59% of Hinge daters believe they’re only looking for hookups, and only 8% of Hinge daters believe they’re interested in getting married someday. But in reality, only 7% of those who select “Figuring Out My Dating Goals” are looking for hookups. In fact, 48% say they’d welcome a relationship if it happens, and 34% say they just don’t feel pressure to look for anything serious.

That’s why Hinge encourages daters to use “Backstory” — an open-text field where daters can explain their goals in their own words so they can get on the same page as matches early on.

Q: How do I deal with the pressure to find a relationship before the holidays?

Moe Ari Brown: The approaching holidays can really bring a delicate kind of pressure. You start seeing highlight reels of other people’s love stories, anticipate getting those “Are you seeing anyone?” questions at gatherings, and maybe even begin imagining how sweet it would be to have someone’s hand to hold during the colder months.

A gentle, actionable way to shift the pressure into empowerment is resisting the pressure to date from a place of urgency. Ensure that you’re matching with people because you want to and not because you feel like you have to meet a holiday deadline. To explore what you want, ask yourself: “If no one else’s opinion mattered, and there were no consequences for my choices, would I be dating? Why or why not? If I were dating, who would I be interested in dating? Why?”

The Bottom Line

While cuffing season brings a rush of energy and opportunity, meaningful relationships can show up any time. Use this season to stay curious and open. Love, or something genuine and worth nurturing, might just blossom as a result.