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New York Times Connections puzzle #840, dated Sunday, September 28, 2025, groups its 16 words into backing, malicious software, gum brands and NFL team logos. Start with the hints below if you want to keep solving; the full answer sets follow the spoiler warning.
Hints for Connections #840
Try these category clues before looking at the answers:
- Support.
- Be careful on your computer.
- Blow a bubble.
- Are you ready for some football?
Spoilers: the September 28 answers
The complete solution for puzzle #840 is below.
Yellow: Backing
- AEGIS
- GUARD
- PROTECTION
- SHIELD
Green: Malicious software
- BACKDOOR
- TROJAN HORSE
- VIRUS
- WORM
Blue: Gum brands
- EXTRA
- ICE BREAKERS
- ORBIT
- TRIDENT
Purple: NFL team logos
- BUFFALO
- FLEUR-DE-LIS
- HORSESHOE
- LIGHTNING BOLT
How the puzzle works
Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four that share a connection. The category clues can point to meanings, brands or recognizable symbols, as they do in this puzzle. Johnny Dee, a TechRadar contributor, describes the game’s color-coded difficulty this way: “green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.” TechRadar’s September 28 explainer describes the colors; the groupings above are also reported by Parade and Try Hard Guides.
Where to play
TechRadar identifies NYT Games as the digital route to play Connections on desktop or mobile and describes it as free to play. Access and subscription conditions can change, so check the current NYT Games page for availability.
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