NYT Connections is a challenging word association game with new puzzles released every day. But if you are already familiar with it and just want to find out the Connections hints today, then you’re at the right spot. We post NYT Connections answers to help you solve each day’s puzzle easily. So, let’s not waste any time and check out the NYT Connections hints and answers for today’s game #812 on August 31, 2025.
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a word association game that spreads 16 random words across a 4 x 4 grid. Players must find, well, the connections among these words and divide them across four categories, colored yellow, green, blue, and purple, based on difficulty. If this sounds challenging and you need more help on how to play Connections, be sure to check out our guide on the game.
The New York Times launched Connections to capture the excitement and success of its popular puzzle game, Wordle. So, if you want to play NYT Connections, then it is available for free on both mobile and desktop devices.
Hints for Today’s Connections Categories
Every Connections category is colour-coded based on its difficulty levels. Starting with the Yellow category being the easiest and the Purple category being the toughest, the NYT game can quickly become challenging if you’re unprepared.
To make your life even easier, here are the NYT Connections hints for today’s categories:
- 🟨 Yellow category hint – Condemn
- 🟩 Green category hint – Things you find in a board game
- 🟦 Blue category hint – Words with the same spelling but different pronunciations
- 🟪 Purple category hint – Things with sticks
Looking for more fun brain teasers? Make sure you don’t miss out on today’s NYT Strands hint and answer — it’s not a simple one either!
Spoiler Warning:
Scroll past this point AT YOUR OWN RISK. Major category hints and answers for today’s NYT Connections are below.
Check out Today’s Connections Categories
Here are the NYT Connections categories for August 31, 2025.
- 🟨 Yellow – CRITICIZE HARSHLY
- 🟩 Green – COMMON COMPONENTS OF BOARD GAMES
- 🟦 Blue – HETERONYMS
- 🟪 Purple – _ _ _ STICKS
If this isn’t the puzzle you are looking for, then it may be yesterday’s. So, check out NYT Connections hints and answers for August 30, 2025, to get the solution for yesterday’s puzzle.
Oh, you’re here for today’s puzzle? Do you see where each word should go? No? Then, keep scrolling to see the NYT Connections answers for today.
Answers for NYT Connections Today
The answers for Connections today are:
- 🟨 CRITICIZE HARSHLY: BASH, BLAST, FLAME, ROAST
- 🟩 COMMON COMPONENTS OF BOARD GAMES: BOARD, CARDS, DICE, PIECES
- 🟦 HETERONYMS: AXES, BASS, COORDINATE, DOES
- 🟪 _ _ _ STICKS: CHOP, DRUM, FIDDLE, FISH
Difficulty Level for Today’s Connections?
Based on my experience solving Connections, I’d rate today’s puzzles a 3.5 out of 5. Here, 5 is the hardest and 1 is the easiest level of difficulty. Of course, difficulty can be subjective, and you may find today’s grid easier or tougher than I did.
Need more word puzzles in your life? Try today’s NYT Wordle and find hints and answer here if you need a helping hand, as you might!
How to Find NYT Connections Answers
Here’s how I rated the difficulty of today’s Connections and found the answers in each category.
- Yellow Category: Today’s puzzle was a little head scratcher. For the first category, I tried building the connection with the word ROAST, finding all the correct words at the end.
- Green Category: The next one was also simple, with the pieces that you find in board games.
- Blue Category: This category gave me the toughest time today, as I couldn’t even think of any connection between the words and had to ask for help from a friend to solve it.
- Purple Category: With the rest of the words in correct place, I completed my last connection of the day.
How to Play NYT Connections
Since you’re here, chances are that you already know how to play NYT Connections. But, if you’re still confused or need some help, here are the best tips on how to play NYT Connections:
- Simplicity is key: Connections often use ambiguous words to trick you. So, instead of focusing on the details, you should look for simpler connections. For instance, “DEAR” and “DEER” both have a hunter-prey dynamic, but they can be similar-sounding words.
- Watch those guesses: A key thing to note is that Connections provides only four attempts for a single puzzle. So, don’t be too trigger-happy, and carefully weigh your words before pressing that submit button.
- Shuffle Away: Use the Shuffle button to your advantage. The sneaky Connections editor deliberately places the first word as a misdirection. That’s why you should press the Shuffle button, as it can help you guess the correct Connections.
Most importantly, don’t stress if today’s puzzle gave you trouble. There will be a fresh Connections puzzle waiting for you tomorrow, and we will be back with another guide to help you out.
Today’s NYT Connections category hints for August 31 are Yellow: Condemn, Green: Things you find in a board game, Blue: Words with the same spelling but different pronunciations, and Purple: Things with sticks.
The Connections categories for August 31 are Yellow: criticize harshly, Green: common components of board games, Blue: heteronyms, and Purple: _ _ _ sticks.
“One Away” means you have correctly grouped three out of the four words, and your guess is very close to being correct, but one of them doesn’t belong.
Every Connections puzzle is divided into four categories, each color-coded by difficulty. The Yellow category is the easiest, while the Purple one is the hardest. You have been warned!
Thankfully, it’s very easy to play old NYT Connections games. Simply head to the Connections archives and pick any date you wish to replay!
