NYT Connections Hints September 16, 2025: Check Clues and Answers to Solve Today’s Puzzle Game

NYT Connections is a new daily word association game from The New York Times, where players must put together four groups of four from the 16 words that have been distributed. One of the true beauties of the game is that the elements of the puzzle contain a mix of difficulty levels: there's typically one grouping that is relatively obvious, another set that is a bit more involved, and then a final congregation that has that curve of surprising difficulty. It encourages both a good sense of vocabulary as well as flexible thinking - sometimes a word's relationship is literal, sometimes figurative, and often, it is blatantly simple yet maintains misdirection. 

The September 16, 2025 puzzle was a combination of different categories, aimed not only at keen observation but also at inventive thinking. Some groupings were easily identified but required a more playful or indirect association. The majority of solvers admitted to second-guessing their initial guesses before the pattern became discernible. It was another one of those days where perseverance resulted in eventual rewards for the players who experienced the "aha" moment indicative of a correct association.

Check Out: NYT Connections Hints September 15, 2025: Check Clues and Answers to Solve Today’s Puzzle Game

Hints for NYT Connections September 16, 2025  

Having trouble with the New York Times Connections puzzle for September 16, 2025? You're not alone. Some groups of words will fall together nicely, whilst there will be other menageries of words that are intended to mislead you into making mistakes, even for more experienced solvers. 

When that happens, it can sometimes be helpful to step away. When you come back, you will have fresh eyes and can reconsider the possibilities that you ruled out too quickly. 

1. Yellow Group Hint: Ways to stay aware of someone or something.

2. Green Group Hint:  Things that are commonly found in sets of twelve.

3. Blue Group Hint: Items (and one creature) that use or produce ink.

4. Purple Group Hint: Words that can precede “Rabbit” to make familiar names.

Whether you figured out all four groups or, like me, struggled with one or two of the groups, it's always valuable to take a step back and work through the puzzle. So, let's take a look at each word group and explore the connections that nicely bind them together.

NYT Connections Answers for September 16, 2025 (Tuesday)

What did you think of the NYT Connections puzzle (#828)? There was a little bit of everything, a few satisfying-tasty solves, some clever cultural references, and just enough cleverness to keep you engaged.

If you found all four categories, kudos to you! Your pattern recognition is indeed better than mine!

Stay curious, have fun, and remember: you make progress every time you play.

YELLOW: KEEP TABS ON (FOLLOW, MONITOR, TRACK, WATCH)

GREEN: ONE IN A DOZEN (DONUT, JUROR, MONTH, ROSE)

BLUE: THINGS WITH INK (PEN, PRINTER, SQUID, TATTOO MACHINE)

PURPLE: __ RABBIT (ROGER, TRIX, VELVETEEN, WHITE)

It’s perfectly fine if you don’t complete a Connections puzzle, or if you need to set it aside before reaching the solution.

What is the NYT Connections Game?

NYT Connections, the New York Times’ crossword-like word puzzle, is a unique and addictive experience for your brain. It combines critical thinking, pattern-matching, and a tinge of creative wordplay, sometimes taking just plain logic, other times assessing cultural significance or complex word relationships.

Each puzzle has its own difficulty scale: green for obvious picks, yellow for a little more thought, blue for the less obvious ones, and purple for the hardest selections.

Whether you're an experienced word nerd or just looking for a little quick brain fix, Connections is a playful and enjoyable way to keep your mind moving. It's easy to start, but once you begin to identify associations of words, you may find yourself in a never-ending rabbit hole!

How to Play the NYT Connections Puzzle

When you first play NYT Connections, it might seem like a relatively easy game--but don’t let its simple exterior fool you. Some connections are straightforward. You can clearly see the links together because of their meanings, or because they feel like familiar groupings. 

There are lots of connections that are much more opaque depending on context from pop culture, wordplay, semantic associations, thematic similarities, etc. Connections is all about having fun and exploring these hidden connections regardless of the way you group them or how much time you spend playing. 

Take your time. Play with combinations, follow your feelings on where to sort new groups (even take bold guesses). Connections is not only a fun word game, but it is also, in essence, a clever way to playfully exercise your brain. It purposely, carefully, and intelligently invites you back again and again to play while also honoring memory, complex associations, and intelligence.

Best Strategies to Solve NYT Connections Puzzles

One strategy for the NYT Connections game is to look for the more obvious connections to start, often found in the green or yellow sets. These connections are usually the more obvious, more familiar associations, and give us a good "jumping off" point from which to work. The remaining words can be much more challenging and require "out of the box" thinking.

If you are hitting a wall, sometimes it helps to mix things up: try moving or rearranging the words, say the words out loud, or take a quick break to change your perspective. Often, a break will help you find a connection that was hiding in plain sight.

While some connections are purely based on play with the words, pop culture, prefixes, or actions, others lean on logic or common knowledge. Approach each puzzle with a sense of curiosity and be flexible! 

Other NYT Games to Explore

If NYT Connections has become your new favorite, check out other daily brain teasers and games from The New York Times. 

Wordle: Guess a five-letter word in six attempts. 

Spelling Bee: Craft as many words as possible from a set of seven letters.

Mini Crossword: For a quick wordplay, perfect for a coffee break.

That's all for today's NYT Connections puzzle! Be sure to come back tomorrow for NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 17, 2025.