NYT Connections puzzle #825 was published on Saturday, September 13, 2025. Start with the grid and gentle clues below; category hints follow, with all four answer groups and explanations in the final section.
The Connections #825 word grid
These are the 16 words in the September 13, 2025 puzzle:
NICKEL, KEY, WON, MAJOR, PRINCIPAL, DOLLAR, PRIVATE, BILL, SOLDIER, PERSONAL, CRITICAL, POUND, INNER, WING, STERLING, SECRET.
Hints, from gentle to more revealing
- Yellow: Think of words that mean important or consequential.
- Green: Think of things that are private, personal, or not publicly disclosed.
- Blue: Think of units or names you might see on a foreign-exchange board.
- Purple: Complete the phrase “Buffalo ____.”
Category-level hints
- Yellow: IMPORTANT
- Green: INTIMATE AND UNDISCLOSED
- Blue: GLOBAL CURRENCIES
- Purple: BUFFALO ____
Full answers and explanations
Yellow — IMPORTANT
CRITICAL, KEY, MAJOR, PRINCIPAL
Each can describe something important or central. KEY and CRITICAL are especially direct; MAJOR and PRINCIPAL can also mark something as significant.
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Green — INTIMATE AND UNDISCLOSED
INNER, PERSONAL, PRIVATE, SECRET
These words point to what is inward, personal, private, or kept from public view. INNER is the less obvious fit, but it works in phrases such as “inner thoughts” and “inner life.”
Blue — GLOBAL CURRENCIES
DOLLAR, POUND, STERLING, WON
DOLLAR and POUND are familiar currency names. STERLING refers to British currency, while WON is the currency of South Korea. WON can look like the past tense of “win,” but here it belongs with the currency terms.
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Purple — BUFFALO ____
BILL, NICKEL, SOLDIER, WING
The phrase completions are Buffalo Bill, Buffalo nickel, Buffalo Soldier, and Buffalo wing. The group is tricky because its answers span a historical figure or character, a coin, a song or cultural term, and a food.
Why the money decoy is tempting
BILL, DOLLAR, NICKEL, and POUND all have obvious financial associations, making them a tempting false group. The intended sets split them: DOLLAR and POUND join STERLING and WON as currencies, while BILL and NICKEL complete Buffalo phrases.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesUse the spelling STERLING for the currency group. One answer guide gives “STIRLING,” but other checked guides use the standard spelling STERLING.
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Connections is part of The New York Times Games lineup. The New York Times Help Center provides official information about Connections support, including Connections Companion and account-linked progress features.
If you want screen-free practice, Simon & Schuster publishes an official NYT Connections puzzle book. The publisher describes it as the first book-form edition of the category-matching puzzle. The broader Puzzle Mania! collection is another physical NYT Games book. Neither product listing establishes that puzzle #825 is included.
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