High-temperature stress poses a serious threat to groundnut production in semi-arid tropical regions due to climate change and global warming. It is important to develop tolerant cultivars that can adapt and produce higher yields. Thirty-six groundnut genotypes were evaluated for tolerance to high temperatures at the seedling stage using the Temperature Induction Response technique, followed by comparing seedling responses to yield performance under field conditions. This aids in understanding genotype responses to high-temperature stress at various growth stages and the possibility of early selection to accelerate breeding for high-temperature tolerance. In the TIR experiment, variability in seedling survival and growth reduction was observed, and the induced genotypes exhibited higher seedling survival and lower growth reduction compared to the non-induced genotypes. Field screening revealed significant genotype, environment, and genotypexenvironment differences for pod yield and associated traits under high-temperature stress. Heat-tolerant genotypes recorded higher pod yield and associated traits than sensitive genotypes. However, genotypes with seedling tolerance did not exhibit superior pod yields under high-temperature stress, which implies distinct mechanisms governing high-temperature tolerance at different growth stages. This recommends comprehensive screening of genotypes under high-temperature stress for future research and genetic improvement of groundnut high-temperature tolerance.