NYT Connections Hints and Answers for November 16, 2025, #889

Happy Sunday, puzzlers! Is it just me, or does today feel like a rerun of last week? I had a serious case of déjà vu this morning when I grabbed my coffee and realized I was wearing the exact same socks as I did on the Sunday before. Maybe it's a sign to stick with what works, like your trusty solving strategies for today's "Connections" puzzle.

As the weather cools down to a crisp 54 degrees, it's the perfect day to cozy up with a cup of tea and tackle those colorful tiers of clues. Remember, sometimes the most unexpected connections can lead you to the right path. So, keep an eye out for those sneaky decoys and scan for loose synonyms as you navigate through the puzzle.

Just like finding that perfect balance of warmth and flavor in your drink, finding the right connections in the puzzle is all about striking a harmonious blend. So, are you ready to brew up some brain-boosting fun and uncover those hidden links? Dive in, embrace the challenge, and let your clever intuition guide you. Need hints or just want to share your progress? Feel free to jump in and join the solving party!

How to Play NYT Connections

Overview

Connections is a daily word puzzle game from The New York Times. The goal is to find groups of four words that share something in common. You’re presented with 16 words arranged in a 4×4 grid, and you must identify four groups of four related words.

Basic Rules

• You have 16 words total, arranged in a 4×4 grid
• There are exactly 4 groups of 4 related words each
• Each word belongs to exactly one group
• You must find all four groups to complete the puzzle
• You have 4 mistakes allowed before the game ends

How to Play

• Look at all 16 words and try to identify patterns or connections
• Select 4 words you think belong together by clicking/tapping them
• Click “Submit” to check if your group is correct
• If correct, those 4 words will be removed and grouped together
• If incorrect, you lose one of your 4 allowed mistakes
• Continue until you find all 4 groups or run out of mistakes

Difficulty Levels

The four groups are color-coded by difficulty:

• 🟨 YELLOW: Easiest – usually straightforward categories
• 🟩 GREEN: Easy-Medium – slightly more complex connections
• 🟦 BLUE: Medium-Hard – trickier associations or wordplay
• 🟪 PURPLE: Hardest – often involves puns, multiple meanings, or very subtle connections

Strategy Tips

• Start with the most obvious connections first
• Be careful of red herrings – words that seem to fit multiple categories
• If you’re unsure, try to eliminate what doesn’t belong first
• The purple group often involves wordplay, homophones, or very creative connections
• Don’t guess randomly – you only have 4 mistakes

Scoring

• Complete the puzzle to see your results
• Mistakes are tracked but don’t affect your final score
• Share your results with friends using the share button
• Results show how many mistakes you made for each group