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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallSpoiler warning: The hints below reveal the category themes, and the full answers appear farther down. Connections #831 was the New York Times word puzzle published Friday, September 19, 2025.
Hints for Connections #831
Use these in order if you want to keep some of the puzzle intact. Each hint points toward a category without giving away all four words.
- One group contains words meaning to assess or judge.
- Another collects things a person might do when anxious.
- Look for four things that can “run” in an unwanted or messy way.
- For the last group, add the same word before each answer to make familiar compounds.
Category labels
- Yellow: EVALUATE
- Green: EXHIBIT NERVOUSNESS
- Blue: THINGS THAT CAN RUN, ANNOYINGLY
- Purple: PAPER ___
Connections answers for September 19, 2025
The four sets below are corroborated by TechRadar and Parade’s guides to puzzle #831. [TechRadar; Parade]
Yellow — EVALUATE
GRADE, RANK, RATE, SCORE
Each word can mean to assess or judge something.
Green — EXHIBIT NERVOUSNESS
BLUSH, FIDGET, PACE, SWEAT
These are things someone may do when nervous.
Blue — THINGS THAT CAN RUN, ANNOYINGLY
DYE, MASCARA, NOSE, STOCKINGS
The connection is the unwanted or messy ways these things can “run.”
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Purple — PAPER ___
CLIP, TIGER, TOWEL, TRAIL
Put “paper” before each word to form paper clip, paper tiger, paper towel, and paper trail.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the groups are easy to mix up
Several words invite competing associations: BLUSH, DYE, MASCARA, and SWEAT can suggest cosmetics or changing color, but that apparent set splits across the intended groups. TechRadar’s writer described making that color-related connection before spotting the “run” theme. The puzzle’s trick is to test a candidate set against all four words rather than settle on a plausible link after finding only two or three.
Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four that share a theme. TechRadar described play through the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile when publishing its September 2025 guide; current access terms are not established here.
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