For puzzle enthusiasts and fans of The New York Times Games, today’s Connections puzzle, number 789, offers a delightful mix of challenges. As players dive into the grid, they might find themselves reminiscing about classic video games, especially with the nostalgic appearance of Pac-Man. The puzzle, released on August 8, 2025, is a testament to the creativity and complexity that the NYT Connections series is known for.
The announcement comes as The New York Times continues to expand its interactive gaming section, introducing features like the Connections Bot. This tool, akin to the popular Wordle Bot, provides players with a numeric score and analyzes their gameplay. Registered users can track their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rates, perfect scores, and even their win streaks, adding a competitive edge to the daily challenge.
Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle
For those seeking a nudge in the right direction, here are the hints for today’s Connections groups, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the more challenging purple group:
- Yellow group hint: No one is ahead or behind.
- Green group hint: Give something.
- Blue group hint: Zzzz…Bueller? Bueller?
- Purple group hint: Not Miss or Mrs.
Answers for Today’s Connections Puzzle
For those eager to know the answers, here is the breakdown of today’s puzzle themes and solutions:
The Yellow Group
The theme for the yellow group is “make equal, as a score.” The answers are: draw, even, square, and tie.
The Green Group
The theme for the green group is “bestow.” The answers are: confer, grant, present, and vest.
The Blue Group
The theme for the blue group is “things you might do during a boring class/meeting.” The answers are: doodle, doze, pass notes, and space.
The Purple Group
The theme for the purple group is “words after the letters MS.” The answers are: degree, Marvel, Pac-Man, and paint.
Quick Tips for Mastering Connections
Solving Connections puzzles can be an art form. Here are some expert tips to enhance your puzzle-solving skills:
- Tip #1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. This can help you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors often group words that are used in similar phrasing, such as “____ Up.”
- Tip #2: Avoid the obvious grouping. The editors are clever, and sometimes words that seem to belong together, like “SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE, and PANTS,” are intentionally misleading. Use the “shuffle” button for a fresh perspective.
- Tip #3: Break down compound words and look for similarities. For instance, “Rushmore” was once featured in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.
This development follows a growing trend in digital puzzles where interactivity and user engagement are prioritized. The Times’ approach to gamifying the experience by allowing users to track their progress and compete with themselves or others adds a new dimension to the traditional puzzle-solving experience.
As the popularity of games like Wordle and Connections continues to surge, The New York Times is poised to remain at the forefront of this digital puzzle revolution. For avid players, the daily challenge is not just about finding the right answers but also about enjoying the journey and the little moments of nostalgia and discovery along the way.
