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Spoiler warning: This guide covers the New York Times Connections puzzle published Sunday, August 31, 2025, game #812. Hints appear first; the complete groups and words are below the second warning.
Because Connections refreshes at midnight in each player’s local time, some archives may display a different date. Game #812 identifies the intended puzzle.
Hints for Connections #812
Use these nudges without revealing the four groups:
- One category contains words meaning to say something very negative about a person or thing.
- Another contains items you might use during a family game night.
- Look for words that have a “twin” pronunciation or spelling-related counterpart.
- The final group completes a phrase ending with “and stones may break your bones.”
Full answers for Sunday, August 31
Answer warning: The complete categories and four words in each group are listed below.
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Yellow: CRITICIZE HARSHLY
BASH, BLAST, FLAME, ROAST
Each word can describe delivering severe criticism.
Green: COMMON COMPONENTS OF BOARD GAMES
BOARD, CARDS, DICE, PIECES
These are familiar elements used in many tabletop games.
Rank #2
Blue: HETERONYMS
AXES, BASS, COORDINATE, DOES
These words can have different pronunciations and meanings depending on how they are used.
Purple: ___ STICKS
CHOP, DRUM, FIDDLE, FISH
Complete the phrases chopsticks, drumsticks, fiddlesticks and fish sticks.
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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Why this puzzle was tricky
The board-game words are broad and can initially look like unrelated everyday nouns. The heteronym group is also easy to miss because the words do not share a visible ending; their connection depends on pronunciation and meaning. The purple set becomes clearer once you test each word before “sticks.”
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