The NYT Connections puzzle game, a popular daily word challenge by The New York Times, requires players to discover and group words into sets of four based on their hidden connections. Launched on June 12, 2023, for PC during its beta phase, Connections has become the second most played game after Wordle. This guide provides tips and answers for the August 23, 2025, puzzle.
Connections tests players’ vocabulary and word knowledge. The game, created by Wyna Liu, presents 16 words that must be sorted into categories. Players have three difficulty levels to choose from – Easy, Medium, and Hard. The game offers an enjoyable experience to expand vocabulary and challenge the mind. The puzzle is trending on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where users share their solutions.
The hints for today’s puzzle are:
Yellow – Contemporary tech creations that reshaped everyday life.
Green – Essential fluids for running and protecting a vehicle.
Blue – Terms for crafty deception and underhanded tricks.
Purple – Words for large venues used for sports and spectacles.
The categories for today’s puzzle are:
Yellow – MODERN INVENTIONS
Green – LIQUIDS YOU PUT INTO CARS
Blue – SKULDUGGERY
Purple – ARENA
The answers for August 23, 2025, are:
Yellow – MODERN INVENTIONS: CRYPTO, PODCAST, SMARTWATCH, VAPE
Green – LIQUIDS YOU PUT INTO CARS: BRAKE FLUID, COOLANT, FUEL, OIL
Blue – SKULDUGGERY: CHICANERY, DECEIT, LEGERDMAIN, SUBTERFUGE
Purple – ARENA: BOWL, COLISEUM, HIPPODROME, STADIUM
To play NYT Connections, players must find hidden connections between words within a grid. Success involves considering synonyms, antonyms, and word families. Hints are available, and players can track progress and challenge friends. Each day, a new puzzle is available at midnight on the NYT website or app. Players must organize 16 words into four groups of four. Categories can encompass various connections, such as clickable items or words related by meaning. Players should note that words can potentially fit into multiple categories. Mixing words can help reveal the connections.
The groups are color-coded, with yellow being the easiest, followed by blue and green of medium difficulty, and purple being the hardest. The purple group often contains wordplay. Players select a set of four words and submit. Incorrect attempts result in a lost life. The game alerts the user if they are one word away from success. Four mistakes lead to the end of the game.