NYT Connections Hints and Answers for November 12, 2025, #885

Happy Wednesday, puzzlers! As I sipped my morning coffee today, I couldn't help but draw a parallel between tackling my daily routine and solving a good puzzle. Some days, it's smooth sailing, like breezing through the easy clues in a yellow-tier puzzle. Other days, it's like getting lost in a maze of blue-tier conundrums. But hey, it's all part of the fun, right?

In a way, our daily routines are like puzzles waiting to be solved. We navigate through tasks, responsibilities, and unexpected curveballs, much like we do when deciphering the clues in our favorite purple-tier brain teasers. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective or a moment of clarity to connect the dots and see the bigger picture.

So, as you go about your day, why not approach it with the same spirit of curiosity and determination you bring to solving a puzzle? Keep an eye out for those subtle hints and patterns that might just lead you to the next solution. And hey, if you find yourself stuck, don't hesitate to reach out for hints or join in on the fun with today's Connections puzzle. Who knows what connections you might uncover today?

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