Spoiler warning: This page covers the archived Wednesday, October 29, 2025 NYT Connections puzzle, game #871. Read the word bank and graduated hints first; the complete groups appear below a spoiler divider.
The 16 words
BACKBONE, COURAGE, HEART, SPIRIT, MEDIUM, OUTLET, PLATFORM, VENUE, SACRUM, SEITAN, SEYCHELLES, SÉANCE, ABECEDARIUM, COMPUTER KEYBOARD, OUIJA BOARD, SCRABBLE.
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Hints, from subtle to more direct
Yellow
Look for words associated with grit, bravery, fortitude, or resilience.
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Green
Think of a channel or means through which something is communicated, expressed, distributed, or presented.
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Blue
Say the words aloud and listen to their opening sound. The connection is phonetic, not a shared spelling.
Purple
These are things that feature the letters A through Z.
How the overlaps can mislead
SÉANCE, MEDIUM, OUIJA BOARD, and SPIRIT can all suggest spiritualism, but they belong to four different groups in this puzzle. BACKBONE and SACRUM may look like an anatomical pair; here, BACKBONE is metaphorical, while SACRUM belongs with the words that start with the “say” sound. PLATFORM can suggest technology or transport, but its fit here is the broader idea of a channel.
The blue group depends on pronunciation: SACRUM, SEITAN, SEYCHELLES, and SÉANCE begin with a sound like “say.” They are not all spelled with S-A-Y. The purple group is a different kind of letter clue: each answer features the alphabet from A through Z.
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Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle without seeing the answers.
Yellow — Fortitude
BACKBONE, COURAGE, HEART, SPIRIT
Green — Channel
MEDIUM, OUTLET, PLATFORM, VENUE
Blue — Words starting with the “say” sound
SACRUM, SEITAN, SEYCHELLES, SÉANCE
Purple — Things featuring letters A through Z
ABECEDARIUM, COMPUTER KEYBOARD, OUIJA BOARD, SCRABBLE
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