NYT Connections Hints and Answers for November 23, 2025, #896

Happy Sunday, puzzlers! Hope your weekend's been as delightful as a warm cup of cocoa on a chilly day. Speaking of which, today's weather is a cozy 40 degrees with a blanket of clouds overhead, perfect for snuggling up with a brain-teasing crossword or a tricky Connections puzzle.

I had a laugh this morning when someone held the elevator for what seemed like an eternity. It was like a reality show challenge: how long can you keep the doors from closing? Reminds me of the way some of those Connections puzzles test your patience, daring you to find the hidden links between words of different colors.

As you tackle today's puzzle, remember to scan for those sneaky synonyms and watch out for colorful decoys trying to throw you off track. Can you crack the code and uncover the hidden connections within the vibrant tiers? Don't be shy to ask for hints if you need a nudge in the right direction. Let's dive in and unravel this colorful conundrum together!

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