This page covers the Wednesday, August 20, 2025, edition of NYT Connections, game #801—not the current daily puzzle. Start with the spoiler-free nudges, then reveal category clues or the full answer key only when you’re ready.
How to play this puzzle
Connections gives you 16 words to sort into four groups of four. Each submitted group that is wrong costs a life; four mistakes end the game. If you are stuck, shuffling the grid can help you spot a different relationship between the words. You can play Connections on the NYT Games website or in the Games app, according to Forbes. Forbes also reports that subscribers can access an archive of previous puzzles; archive access may change.
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Spoiler-free hints for August 20
Try these nudges before looking at any category names or answers. Each clue points toward one group, in puzzle order:
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- Think of a penguin, a page in a novel, or something completely unambiguous.
- These might have a couple of points to make.
- Think of a record or some washing machines.
- They can’t stay on the straight and narrow forever.
Category clues
Warning: the four labels below reveal the categories.
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- Black and white
- Paired sticks
- Vertical spinners
- Hooked tools
Full answers for Connections #801
Warning: the complete groups and all 16 answers are below.
- Yellow — Black-and-white things: DOMINO, PIANO KEYS, YIN-YANG SYMBOL, ZEBRA
- Green — Pairs of rods: CHOPSTICKS, CLAVES, KNITTING NEEDLES, SKI POLES
- Blue — Things that rotate about a vertical axis: BARBER POLE, CAROUSEL, CEILING FAN, LAZY SUSAN
- Purple — Rods that curve at one end: CANDY CANE, CROCHET HOOK, CROOK, CROWBAR
The misleading striped-items connection
BARBER POLE, CAROUSEL, and ZEBRA can suggest a group of striped things, with CANDY CANE as a tempting fourth. That grouping does not solve the puzzle: BARBER POLE belongs with objects that rotate around a vertical axis, ZEBRA is in the black-and-white group, and CANDY CANE goes with the rods that curve at one end. CLAVES may also be unfamiliar; here it belongs with pairs of rods, alongside chopsticks, knitting needles, and ski poles.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the solution is corroborated
Forbes, WordHint, and TechRadar all identify this as game #801 on August 20, 2025, and report the same four groups. These are secondary sources; an official NYT answer-key page for this puzzle was not established.
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