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Hints for Connections #831
Each hint follows the puzzle’s group order. Stop before the spoiler warning if you want to finish the board yourself.
- Group 1: To observe.
- Group 2: “I’m a ___ wreck!”
- Group 3: Can I get you a tissue?
- Group 4: Something you write on.
More specific, still spoiler-light clues
- Assess the value.
- Things done when anxious.
- A type of cardio movement in common.
- Precede with something you write on.
Spoiler warning: the answers
The full solutions for the September 19, 2025 board are below.
The 16 tiles
TIGER, NOSE, MASCARA, PACE, RATE, BLUSH, DYE, CLIP, SWEAT, TOWEL, SCORE, TRAIL, RANK, FIDGET, STOCKINGS and GRADE.
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Completed groups
| Color | Category | Tiles |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | EVALUATE | GRADE, RANK, RATE, SCORE |
| Green | EXHIBIT NERVOUSNESS | BLUSH, FIDGET, PACE, SWEAT |
| Blue | THINGS THAT CAN RUN, ANNOYINGLY | DYE, MASCARA, NOSE, STOCKINGS |
| Purple | PAPER___ | CLIP, TIGER, TOWEL, TRAIL |
Why the groups work
Evaluate
Grade, rank, rate and score all mean to assess or judge something.
Exhibit nervousness
Someone anxious might blush, fidget, pace or sweat.
Things that can run, annoyingly
Here, “run” changes meaning: a color can run from dye, mascara can run, a nose can run and stockings can run when they snag.
Paper___
Add “paper” before each tile: paper clip, paper tiger, paper towel and paper trail.
How to approach this board
Connections uses 16 words divided into four groups of four, mixing straightforward meanings with indirect or phrase-based links. For this board, the yellow set is the most direct synonym group. The green set asks you to recognize anxious behaviors. The blue set depends on multiple meanings of “run,” while the purple set is a common-phrase completion exercise.
- Mark the obvious evaluation words first, but check whether a tile could also form a phrase elsewhere.
- When you see several body reactions or restless actions, test whether they describe a shared state rather than a literal object.
- For unusual categories, try adding the same word before or after each candidate.
- Remember that a tempting three-word pattern is not enough: every final group must contain exactly four tiles.
When puzzle #831 was available
The New York Times Help Center says the daily Connections game is released at midnight in the player’s timezone, so the local release date can vary by location. Connections is free to play on NYT platforms. The Help Center also says the archive reaches back to June 12, 2023 and is available to All Access and Games subscribers.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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