NYT Connections Hints #845

NYT Connections Hints #835: Hints, Answers and Tips for 23 Sep 2025

ByAqib Shahzad

The daily ritual of solving the New York Times Connections puzzle has become a beloved mental workout for millions. This clever word game challenges players to find the common threads between seemingly unrelated words, testing everything from vocabulary to pop culture knowledge. Each day brings a new grid of 16 words, and with it, a fresh opportunity to make four perfect groups.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro who breezes through the categories or a newcomer still getting the hang of it, you’ve come to the right place. This guide will provide hints, strategies, and the full solution for puzzle #835 on September 23, 2025. We’ll help you tackle today’s challenge and equip you with tips to sharpen your skills for future games.

A Quick Look Back at Yesterday’s Puzzle

Before we get into today’s hints, let’s take a moment to reflect on yesterday’s puzzle. The categories often build on patterns or themes, and sometimes a review of the previous day’s logic can warm up your brain. Yesterday’s puzzle #834 featured a tricky mix, with categories that required players to think about everything from kitchen gadgets to musical terms. The purple category, in particular, left many stumped, proving once again that the final group is always the one to watch out for. How did you fare?

NYT Connections Hints for Puzzle #835 (September 23, 2025)

Stuck on today’s grid? Don’t throw in the towel just yet. Sometimes all you need is a little nudge in the right direction. Below are some general hints for puzzle #835 to get you started without giving away the answers.

  • One category features words that all describe a cheerful, happy-go-lucky feeling.
  • Think about a classic phrase that’s notoriously difficult to say quickly.
  • Another group of words relates to items you’d typically see when preparing for a trip.
  • The final category is a nostalgia trip, celebrating iconic characters from a specific decade of film.

Take a moment to look at the board again with these hints in mind. Do any new connections stand out?

Category-Specific Hints

If you’re still wrestling with the grid, here are more specific hints for each color category.

  • Yellow Category Hint: Think of words you would use to describe someone with a perpetually positive and upbeat attitude. These words radiate joy.
  • Green Category Hint: This group of words forms a well-known tongue twister. If you try saying them out loud, you might recognize the phrase.
  • Blue Category Hint: Imagine you’re at an airport. What kinds of bags and baggage would you see people traveling with?
  • Purple Category Hint: This category features the first names of title characters from popular 1980s movies. These personalities defined a generation of film.

Connections #835 Answers for September 23, 2025

Ready for the full solution? If you’ve given it your best shot or are just curious to see the answers, you can find them below.

SPOILER ALERT! The answers for NYT Connections puzzle #835 are listed below.

  • Yellow Category: CHEERFUL
    • BOUNCY, BRIGHT, MERRY, SUNNY
  • Green Category: “RUBBER BABY BUGGY BUMPER”
    • BABY, BUGGY, BUMPER, RUBBER
  • Blue Category: KINDS OF LUGGAGE
    • CARRY-ON, DUFFEL, HARD-SHELL, ROLLER
  • Purple Category: TITLE CHARACTERS IN ’80S MOVIES
    • FERRIS, HEATHER, INDIANA, PEE-WEE

A Deeper Look at Today’s Categories

Let’s break down each category to understand the logic behind the groupings. This is one of the best ways to train your brain to spot similar patterns in future puzzles.

Yellow: CHEERFUL

The yellow category was rated as the most straightforward today. The words BOUNCY, BRIGHT, MERRY, and SUNNY are all synonyms or descriptors for a cheerful and jolly disposition. If you see someone with a “bouncy” step or a “sunny” smile, you’d likely describe them as happy. The puzzle’s editor, Wyna Liu, often uses the yellow category as a gentle entry point, and today was no exception. The main challenge here was not getting distracted by other potential associations, like “sunny” with weather or “bouncy” with a ball.

Green: “RUBBER BABY BUGGY BUMPER”

This category was a fun and clever one. The words BABY, BUGGY, BUMPER, and RUBBER combine to form the classic tongue twister, “Rubber baby buggy bumper.” This type of “words that form a phrase” category is a common trick in Connections. The key to solving it is to look for words that don’t seem to have a strong semantic link but sound like they could belong together. The word “BABY” might have initially seemed to fit with other themes, but its pairing with the other three reveals the true connection.

Blue: KINDS OF LUGGAGE

The blue category required some practical, real-world knowledge. The words CARRY-ON, DUFFEL, HARD-SHELL, and ROLLER are all types of luggage you might take on a trip. “CARRY-ON” and “ROLLER” are especially common sights in an airport. “DUFFEL” bags are often used for shorter trips or gym visits, while “HARD-SHELL” describes a popular style of modern suitcase. The difficulty here might have been for players less familiar with specific luggage terminology, but the airport theme was a strong clue.

Purple: TITLE CHARACTERS IN ’80S MOVIES

As is often the case, the purple category was the trickiest. This group, FERRIS, HEATHER, INDIANA, and PEE-WEE, consists of the first names of title characters from iconic ’80s films.

  • FERRIS refers to Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986).
  • HEATHER refers to the dark comedy Heathers (1989).
  • INDIANA is the famous adventurer from Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), kicking off the Indiana Jones series.
  • PEE-WEE is the star of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985).

This category tests your pop culture knowledge, specifically from a particular era. If you weren’t an avid movie watcher in the ’80s, this group would have been incredibly difficult to piece together, making it a classic purple-level challenge.

Tips and Strategies for Your Next Connections Game

Want to reduce your mistakes and solve the puzzle faster? Here are some proven strategies that can help you master the New York Times Connections game.

  1. Don’t Rush the Obvious Connections: The puzzle is designed to mislead you. There are almost always “red herrings”—words that seem to fit into multiple categories. For example, in today’s puzzle, “BRIGHT” could relate to “SUNNY,” but it could also describe intelligence or light. Take a moment to scan the entire board before committing to your first group.
  2. Look for Niche Categories: Sometimes, the easiest way to solve the puzzle is to identify the most specific or unusual category first. Pop culture references, brand names, or technical jargon often stand out. In today’s puzzle, spotting the ’80s movie characters could have been a gateway to solving the rest.
  3. Shuffle, Shuffle, Shuffle: Don’t underestimate the power of the shuffle button. Rearranging the words on the grid can break mental fixation and help you see new potential groupings that you might have missed.
  4. Say the Words Aloud: This strategy is particularly useful for phrase-based categories like today’s Green group. Hearing the words can trigger your memory of a common saying, song lyric, or tongue twister.
  5. Work Backward from Purple: If you’re completely stumped, try to guess which words might belong to the trickiest category. These are often proper nouns, slang, or words with multiple meanings. Isolating them can make the remaining categories easier to solve.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

When does the NYT Connections puzzle reset?

The NYT Connections puzzle resets daily at midnight local time, so you have a full 24 hours to solve each new grid.

Who creates the Connections puzzles?

The current editor for NYT Connections is Wyna Liu, a crossword constructor known for her clever and creative puzzle designs.

Can I play past Connections puzzles?

Unfortunately, the official New York Times Games app does not currently offer an archive of past Connections puzzles. However, several unofficial websites have started to archive daily puzzles if you’re looking to practice.

What’s the best way to get better at Connections?

Consistency is key. Playing daily helps you become familiar with the common types of categories and tricks used by the editor. Additionally, reading through breakdowns like this one can help you understand the logic behind each puzzle, which will improve your strategic thinking over time.

Master Your Next Puzzle

Today’s Connections puzzle was a fantastic example of what makes the game so engaging. It blended straightforward synonyms with a quirky tongue twister, practical knowledge, and a nostalgic dive into ’80s cinema. Each category required a different kind of thinking, making for a well-rounded and satisfying challenge.

Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t solve it perfectly. Every puzzle is a learning opportunity. With these tips and a bit of daily practice, you’ll be spotting those tricky connections and conquering the purple category in no time. How did you do with puzzle #835? Share your results and thoughts in the comments below!

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