This is the solution to the New York Times Connections puzzle for Thursday, September 4, 2025, game #816—not today’s board. If you’re still solving, use the hints first and stop before the spoiler section.
Hints for Connections #816
Try these one at a time; each points toward a category without listing its words.
- Yellow: Think of holiday tree decorations.
- Green: What could you do to improve or repair a photograph?
- Blue: Think of French culinary vocabulary.
- Purple: Consider different meanings of “cell,” from biology to technology.
Connections answers for September 4, 2025
Spoilers below: the complete categories and word groups are listed here.
| Color | Category | Words | How they connect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | WHAT YOU MIGHT SEE ON A CHRISTMAS TREE | ANGEL, CANDY CANE, STRING LIGHTS, TINSEL | Each is a familiar object or decoration associated with a Christmas tree. |
| Green | CLEAN UP, AS A PHOTOGRAPH | AIRBRUSH, FIX, PHOTOSHOP, TOUCH UP | Each can describe retouching or improving a photograph. FIX and TOUCH UP have broader meanings, and PHOTOSHOP can be read as a brand name or an informal verb; the category points to the photographic sense. |
| Blue | FRENCH FOOD WORDS | CORNICHON, PAIN, PAMPLEMOUSSE, VINAIGRETTE | These are French culinary words. PAIN means bread in French; the other words also occur in French food contexts. |
| Purple | THINGS WITH CELLS | HONEYCOMB, ORGANISM, SOLAR PANEL, SPREADSHEET | “Cell” means something different in each: a honeycomb compartment, a biological cell, a photovoltaic cell, or a spreadsheet cell. |
How the groups fit together
Start with familiar objects and actions
The tree decorations are a concrete set. AIRBRUSH, FIX, PHOTOSHOP, and TOUCH UP are less specific on their own, but the photograph-cleanup category brings their intended connection into focus.
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Shift to French vocabulary
PAIN is the useful clue in the food group: in French, it means bread. CORNICHON, PAMPLEMOUSSE, and VINAIGRETTE complete the culinary vocabulary set.
Read “cell” in several ways
The last group is joined by a word with multiple meanings, rather than one shared kind of cell. The category spans honeycomb structure, biology, solar technology, and spreadsheets.
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