Need help with NYT Connections puzzle #889 for Sunday, November 16, 2025? Start with the spoiler-free category hints below, then open the answer section for the complete solution. The 16-word grid divides into four groups of four.
NYT Connections #889 hints for Sunday, November 16
These clues identify the groups without giving away every word:
- Yellow: Words meaning a technique or way of doing something.
- Green: Things that are ordinary, commonplace or unremarkable.
- Blue: Items with stripes or stripe-like designs.
- Purple: Words found on spaces on a Monopoly board.
The 16 words in the grid
RUGBY SHIRT, PEDESTRIAN, APPROACH, AVENUE, BARCODE, EVERYDAY, SCHOOL, TAX, IBM LOGO, BANAL, RAILROAD, PHILOSOPHY, HUMDRUM, ZEBRA, METHOD, PARKING.
Helpful overlap to watch for
AVENUE, PARKING, RAILROAD and TAX can initially look like travel or road-related words, especially alongside PEDESTRIAN. The intended group uses the Monopoly connection, while PEDESTRIAN belongs with the ordinary or commonplace terms.
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BARCODE and ZEBRA may suggest black-and-white objects, but the intended category is broader: striped things, including the IBM logo and a rugby shirt.
Spoiler warning: full answers
The complete groups and their words are below.
TECHNIQUE
APPROACH, METHOD, PHILOSOPHY, SCHOOL
RUN-OF-THE-MILL
BANAL, EVERYDAY, HUMDRUM, PEDESTRIAN
STRIPY THINGS
BARCODE, IBM LOGO, RUGBY SHIRT, ZEBRA
WORDS ON MONOPOLY SQUARES
AVENUE, PARKING, RAILROAD, TAX
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the trickiest group works
The purple category refers to words printed on Monopoly board spaces: avenues, parking, railroads and taxes. It is a reference to the board’s square labels rather than a general travel theme.
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