TL;DR
- NYT Connections challenges players to group 16 words into four color-coded categories by difficulty
- Today’s puzzle features TECHNIQUE, RUN-OF-THE-MILL, STRIPY THINGS, and MONOPOLY terms categories
- Strategic shuffling and careful guessing prevent wasting limited attempts
- Difficulty rating of 2/5 indicates moderate challenge with accessible solutions
- Advanced pattern recognition and category analysis improve daily success rates
The New York Times Connections presents a fresh word association challenge each day that tests your pattern recognition and categorical thinking abilities. This engaging puzzle format has quickly become a daily ritual for word game enthusiasts seeking mental stimulation.
At its core, Connections displays sixteen seemingly random terms arranged in a four-by-four grid configuration. Your objective involves identifying the hidden relationships that connect four groups of words, with each cluster color-coded according to its complexity level. The yellow category represents the most straightforward grouping, while purple indicates the most conceptually demanding connections that often require lateral thinking.
The game emerged as part of The New York Times’ strategy to expand their puzzle portfolio following the massive success of Wordle. Available across both mobile platforms and desktop browsers, Connections offers free daily entertainment that challenges your vocabulary and cognitive flexibility.
Each Connections puzzle employs a sophisticated color-coding system that directly corresponds to the challenge level of each category. Understanding this hierarchy is crucial for efficient puzzle-solving—beginning with the most accessible yellow group provides momentum, while saving the intricate purple category for last prevents early frustration.
For today’s edition, we’ve decoded the categorical hints to streamline your solving process:
- 🟨 Yellow category hint – Procedure
- 🟩 Green category hint – Ordinary
- 🟦 Blue category hint – Things with stripes
- 🟪 Purple category hint – Monopoly terms
When interpreting these clues, consider both literal and figurative meanings. The ‘Procedure’ hint might reference methodological approaches rather than medical processes, while ‘Ordinary’ could indicate commonplace items or mediocre quality descriptors.
Spoiler Warning:
Scroll past this point AT YOUR OWN RISK. Major category hints and answers for today’s NYT Connections are below.
For additional puzzle variety, explore today’s NYT Strands challenge which offers a different type of word association test.
Here are the fully revealed NYT Connections categories for November 16, 2025’s challenge:
- 🟨 Yellow – TECHNIQUE
- 🟩 Green – RUN-OF-THE-MILL
- 🟦 Blue – STRIPY THINGS
- 🟪 Purple – WORDS ON MONOPOLY
The complete word associations for today’s Connections puzzle are:
- 🟨 TECHNIQUE: APPROACH, METHOD, PHILOSOPHY, SCHOOL
- 🟩 RUN-OF-THE-MILL: BANAL, EVERYDAY, HUMDRUM, PEDESTRIAN
- 🟦 STRIPY THINGS: BARCODE, IBM LOGO, RUGBY SHIRT, ZEBRA
- 🟪 WORDS ON MONOPOLY: AVENUE, PARKING, RAILROAD, TAX
If you’re seeking previous puzzles, consult our Connections archive guide for comprehensive historical solutions.
Based on extensive experience solving hundreds of Connections puzzles, I evaluate today’s challenge at a moderate 2 out of 5 difficulty rating.
This five-point scale positions today’s grid as accessible yet engaging, with the yellow and green categories offering relatively straightforward connections, while the blue and purple groupings present more nuanced categorical thinking requirements.
Difficulty perception remains inherently subjective—players with strong vocabulary recognition may find the ‘run-of-the-mill’ category simpler, while those familiar with board game terminology will navigate the Monopoly terms with ease. The stripy things category demonstrates typical Connections creativity, blending natural patterns (zebra), clothing items (rugby shirt), corporate branding (IBM logo), and technological elements (barcode).
While you likely understand Connections basics, mastering these advanced techniques can significantly improve your solving efficiency and success rate:
- Cognitive simplicity prioritization: The game deliberately employs ambiguous terminology to misdirect players. Rather than overanalyzing individual words, focus on broader categorical themes. For example, homophones like ‘DEAR’ and ‘DEER’ might connect through sound similarity rather than meaning.
- Strategic attempt management: With only four total guesses permitted per puzzle, impulsive submissions can quickly exhaust your opportunities. Methodically evaluate potential groupings before committing selections.
- Tactical shuffling implementation: Consistently utilize the shuffle function between guesses. Puzzle editors intentionally position misleading words prominently, and rearranging the grid reveals hidden relationships that static viewing might obscure.
Common solving errors include overcompreting word meanings, ignoring thematic connections, and failing to recognize pattern variations across categories. Class selection principles from other games can inform your categorical thinking approach here.
Remember that puzzle frustration is temporary—a fresh Connections challenge awaits tomorrow, and we’ll continue providing expert guidance to enhance your solving capabilities.
Action Checklist
- Scan all 16 words for obvious thematic connections and word families
- Begin with yellow category identification using the ‘Procedure’ hint as guidance
- Utilize shuffle function after each guess to reveal new perspective on word relationships
- Progress through green and blue categories before tackling challenging purple group
- Verify all four words share unambiguous connection before submission
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