NYT Connections Hints #831: Hints, Answers and Tips for 19Sep 2025
Stuck on today’s NYT Connections puzzle? Don’t worry—we’ve all been there. Friday’s puzzle (#831) brings an intriguing mix of everyday words that might seem unrelated at first glance, but each group has a clever connection waiting to be discovered.
Whether you’re looking for gentle nudges or need the full solutions, this guide will help you navigate through today’s challenge without losing your solving streak.
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections challenges players to group 16 words into four categories of four words each. The game tests your ability to spot thematic links, from straightforward groupings to more abstract connections that require lateral thinking.
Each puzzle features four difficulty levels indicated by colors:
- Yellow: Easiest category
- Green: Easy category
- Blue: Medium difficulty
- Purple: Hardest category
The trick lies in avoiding the red herrings—words that seem to belong together but actually don’t share the intended connection.
Today’s 16 Words
Here are the words you’ll be working with for September 19:
CLIP, GRADE, TIGER, MASCARA, RATE, NOSE, SCORE, BLUSH, TRAIL, FIDGET, PACE, STOCKINGS, DYE, TOWEL, SWEAT, RANK
General Strategy Tips
Before diving into specific hints, remember these key approaches:
- Start with words that have obvious multiple meanings
- Look for patterns in word types (verbs, nouns, adjectives)
- Consider both literal and figurative interpretations
- Watch for wordplay or phrases where words might be combined with others
Category Hints (No Spoilers!)
Yellow Category Hint
Think about performance reviews, test results, or competitive assessments. What do teachers, judges, and evaluators do?
Green Category Hint
Picture someone before a big presentation or job interview. What physical signs might give away their nervousness?
Blue Category Hint
Consider things around the house that can be frustratingly messy. What items have an annoying tendency to streak, drip, or create unwanted trails?
Purple Category Hint
Think about office supplies, bathroom essentials, and reading materials. What word could precede each of these items to create a common compound term?
More Specific Hints
If you need a bit more direction:
Yellow: These are all action words that mean to evaluate or judge something’s quality or performance.
Green: Physical reactions your body might have when you’re anxious or uncomfortable.
Blue: Household items notorious for creating unwanted streaks or runs.
Purple: Each word can be combined with the same material to create everyday objects.
Connections Answers for September 19
Yellow (Evaluate): GRADE, RANK, RATE, SCORE
Green (Exhibit Nervousness): BLUSH, FIDGET, PACE, SWEAT
Blue (Things That Can Run, Annoyingly): DYE, MASCARA, NOSE, STOCKINGS
Purple (Paper ___): CLIP, TIGER, TOWEL, TRAIL
Breaking Down Today’s Puzzle
The yellow category proved relatively straightforward once you recognized these as evaluation terms. Teachers grade papers, critics rate movies, and competitions produce scores and rankings.
The green group captured those telltale signs of nervousness—the physical reactions we can’t quite control when we’re feeling anxious or self-conscious.
The blue category presented a clever twist. Each item can “run” in ways that create messes: dye bleeds in the wash, mascara streaks down faces, noses run when we’re sick, and stockings develop runs or tears.
Purple offered the trickiest connection. Paper clip, paper tiger, paper towel, and paper trail—all common compound terms that might not immediately spring to mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle where you sort 16 words into four groups of four based on shared themes. You have four mistakes before the game ends.
Start with obvious connections, look for multiple word meanings, avoid red herrings, and consider both literal and abstract relationships between words.
Categories range from concrete groupings (like types of animals) to abstract connections (like things that can be “broken”). The difficulty increases from yellow to purple.
Yellow represents the easiest category, green is easy, blue is medium difficulty, and purple is the hardest to solve.
You lose one of your four allowed mistakes. The game tells you if you’re “one away” from a correct group, helping guide your next attempt.
Visit the New York Times Games website to play the daily Connections puzzle. New puzzles are released at midnight each day.
Watch for words with multiple meanings, consider compound words or phrases, and don’t assume obvious groupings are correct—they might be red herrings.
A fresh Connections puzzle is published daily at midnight local time.
Today’s puzzle featured moderate difficulty, with the purple “paper” category being particularly challenging due to its abstract compound word connection.
Many puzzle websites and gaming blogs archive daily hints and solutions for previous Connections puzzles.
Master Your Next Connections Challenge
Today’s puzzle demonstrated how Connections can surprise us with both straightforward associations and clever wordplay. The key to consistent success lies in staying flexible with your thinking and considering multiple interpretations for each word.
Remember that even experienced players occasionally stumble on tricky connections. The beauty of the game lies in those “aha!” moments when seemingly unrelated words suddenly click into place.
Ready for tomorrow’s challenge? Each new puzzle brings fresh opportunities to test your pattern recognition and creative thinking skills.
Previous Connections Answer
