NYT Connections, a daily word puzzle developed by The New York Times, challenges players to connect words based on shared meanings. The objective is to group 16 words into four sets of four, using clues to identify the relationships between them. This game, which launched on PC in June 2023, has quickly risen in popularity to become the second most-played game on the NYT platform, after Wordle. This article provides insights into the game’s structure, hints, and the solutions for the September 11, 2025, puzzle.
The core of Connections lies in testing vocabulary and enhancing word knowledge. Players encounter 16 words and must sort them into four distinct groups based on their hidden connections. The game offers difficulty levels to accommodate different skill levels. Connections encourages vocabulary development and provides a fun method for cognitive stimulation. Social media, including platforms like X, is abuzz with players sharing their puzzle-solving experiences.
Hints for the September 11, 2025, puzzle include: spotting small marks or surface damage, terms for something huge, impolite or disrespectful actions, and locations or markings used within the game. Specific category breakdowns include: Yellow: BLEMISH; Green: BEHEMOTH; Blue: RUDE THINGS TO DO; Purple: ON A BASEBALL FIELD. The answers for the same date are: Yellow: DENT, DING, MAR, SCRATCH; Green: COLOSSUS, MAMMOTH, WHALE, WHOPPER; Blue: POINT, SNICKER, STARE, WHISPER; Purple: BASE, BOX, MOUND, PLATE.
To participate in Connections, players receive a grid of words, and they must find the common threads between them. Strategies include exploring synonyms, antonyms, and word families to reveal these connections. The game offers in-game hints to help. Additional features allow players to track their streaks, monitor their overall performance, and compete with others. A new puzzle is released daily at midnight on the NYT website and app. Players must categorize the words into groups of four by discovering their interconnections, keeping in mind that words can fit into more than one category. The difficulty of each group is reflected by color, with yellow typically representing the simplest, blue and green representing a medium level, and purple being the most complex. Incorrect guesses reduce a player’s available lives, and after four mistakes, the game concludes.