Mastering the Daily Challenge

Each day at midnight local time, the New York Times releases a fresh edition of Connections. The game tasks players with categorizing sixteen words into four distinct groups, each defined by a common theme. If you find yourself hitting a wall, these hints and solutions are here to guide you through game #1225.


Today's Category Hints

To help you organize your thoughts, here are the general themes for the four groups:

  • Yellow: Locations for clothing storage.
  • Green: Items typically sold in stick form.
  • Purple: Words beginning with terms related to atmospheric obscuration.
  • Blue: Renowned perfume brands.

Revealing the Solutions

Warning: The section below contains the complete solution. Proceed only if you are ready to see the answers for game #1225.


The correct groupings for today's puzzle are:

  • Places to store clothes: BUREAU, CHEST, TRUNK, WARDROBE
  • Things that come in sticks: BUTTER, DEODORANT, DYNAMITE, INCENSE
  • Famous perfumes: ANGEL, COCO, OBSESSION, OPIUM
  • Starting with things that cloud the air: FOGERTY, HAZEL, MISTER, VAPORETTO

Strategy and Insights

The puzzle designers often include "red herrings" to misdirect players. For example, spotting words like COCO, HAZEL, CHEST, and BUTTER might tempt you to group them by the word "nut," but this is a distraction. Successfully solving the puzzle requires careful elimination and logical deduction.


As the game creator notes, "Recognizing OBSESSION, OPIUM, and ANGEL as famous perfumes was a solid starting point, which eventually led to identifying the full set."


About NYT Connections

Connections has quickly become a staple among daily word puzzles. The game assigns a difficulty level to each group, indicated by color: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (often the most challenging). Players are permitted up to four errors, providing a slight buffer, and the final category can often be solved through simple elimination.

The game is available to play for free through the New York Times website and mobile platforms, offering a deeper challenge than many other daily word games due to its reliance on wordplay, homophones, and complex associations.