Stuck on today’s New York Times Connections puzzle (#810)? Don’t worry, you are definitely not alone! These puzzles can be surprisingly challenging, but I have got some handy hints and insights to help you breeze through Friday’s game. And yes, if you want the spoilers, I have got those ready for you too. No shame in getting a little assist!
If you’re new to NYT Connections, here’s a quick rundown of how it works, along with some tips that might save you from frustration.
What exactly is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is not your typical word game. It is a brain teaser where you are presented with a 4×4 grid containing 16 words. Your task? To find four groups of four words that share a common connection. These groups are color-coded: yellow, green, blue, and purple. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, while purple tends to be the toughest.
Tips to Conquer NYT Connections
Though I’m fairly new to this game, here are some strategies that have worked for me:
Pay Attention to Feedback: When you get something wrong, watch the message at the top. “One away” means you’re close, just one word off. That’s a cue to rethink which word might fit better elsewhere.
Shuffle to Refresh Your View: Don’t hesitate to shuffle the board multiple times. Seeing the words in different arrangements can spark new ideas.
Start with the Easy Groups: The yellow group tends to be the most obvious since those words usually share clear commonalities, like being synonyms. Just watch out for trick words that might fit more than one category.
NYT Connections Hints for Today (August 29, 2025)
If you struggled with grouping the words today, here are a few clues that might have helped.
- Yellow group: Famous people
- Green group: Things that increase
- Blue group: Gas stations
- Purple group: Splits
For reference, one word from each group was:
- Yellow: Star
- Green: Balloon
- Blue: Shell
- Purple: Banana
Official NYT Connections Categories
If you don’t want spoilers, stop here because the actual groups are just below!
- Yellow (Famous Person): Figure, Name, Personality, Star
- Green (Increase): Balloon, Mount, Mushroom, Wax
- Blue (Places That Sell Gas): 7-Eleven, Chevron, Gulf, Shell
- Purple (Split): 7-10, Banana, Lickety, Stock
My Take
Today’s puzzle had a really fun mix. I got the “gas stations” group quickly since Shell and Chevron stood out right away. The Increase category also made sense once I saw “Balloon” and “Wax.” The Split group was the trickiest for me, especially with the clever “Banana Split” and “Lickety-Split” wordplay. Overall, a solid puzzle that balanced straightforward clues with some tricky eliminations!
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