Fans of The New York Times’ daily word game were offered fresh clues and solutions on Tuesday as NYT Connections served up puzzle number 821. For those seeking quick help, today’s Connections Hints and answers are now available to guide solvers through the four colour-coded categories.

What is NYT Connections?

Launched by The New York Times following the success of Wordle, NYT Connections is a timed word-association puzzle that scatters 16 words across a 4×4 grid. Players must sort those words into four thematic groups — each group represented by a colour: yellow (easiest) through purple (hardest). The game tests lateral thinking and vocabulary and is free to play on NYT’s games platform for mobile and desktop users.

NYT Connections today’s category hints

The daily Connections layout gives players four clues — one per category — to steer them toward the correct groupings. Today's Connections Hints for September 9 were as follows:

• Yellow: Words that mean ‘Finished’
  
• Green: Shells
  
• Blue: Drink (indicated as “SWIG”)
  
• Purple: Words ending with ‘Dog’ (formatted “___DOG”)
  

Categories and official answers for Sept 9, 2025

Players who prefer to check answers or who got stuck can use the following authoritative list to verify their results for puzzle #821:

• Yellow — FINISHED: COMPLETE, DONE, OVER, THROUGH
  
• Green — THINGS WITH SHELLS: EGG, HARD, TACO, M&M
  
• Blue — SWIG (DRINK): BELT, GULP, SHOT, SLUG
  
• Purple — ___DOG: BULL, LAP, UNDER, WATCH
  

The purple set — words that commonly pair with “dog” to form familiar compounds or phrases (for example “watchdog” and “lapdog”) — proved to be the trickiest for many solvers.

NYT Connections Difficulty and solver experience

On a five-point scale, today’s puzzle was gauged at 3 out of 5 in difficulty by regular solvers. While the yellow and blue categories were picked up relatively quickly, the green and purple sets required more lateral connections and cultural recall, particularly the play on compound words with “dog.”

How to approach Connections — quick tips

Experienced players suggest the following tactics when attempting NYT Connections puzzles:

• Start simple: Look for obvious semantic groups first (colours, animals, common verbs). Clearing one set reduces the complexity of the remaining grid.
  
• Use the shuffle button: Reordering tiles can reveal new juxtapositions and reduce misdirection; the puzzle often places one misleading word in a prominent position.
  
• Watch your guesses: You have only four category guesses; an early incorrect grouping can cost you a chance. Confirm strong candidates before submitting.
  
• Think flexibly: Words may belong to idioms, compound phrases or less literal relationships (for example, items that commonly accompany a concept rather than direct synonyms).
  

NYT Connections Archives and replay

Players wishing to revisit older challenges can access the NYT Connections archive on the games page. The archive lets users replay past puzzles — a helpful tool for practice or to study recurring puzzle patterns.

Why players keep returning to Connections

Connections blends word knowledge with associative reasoning, offering short-form daily puzzles suitable for commuters and casual gamers alike. The colour-coded difficulty structure also means it caters to a broad skill range, keeping engagement high.

FAQs

What are today’s NYT Connections answers for Sept 9, 2025?

The four groups are: FINISHED (COMPLETE, DONE, OVER, THROUGH); THINGS WITH SHELLS (EGG, HARD, TACO, M&M); SWIG/DRINK (BELT, GULP, SHOT, SLUG); and ___DOG (BULL, LAP, UNDER, WATCH).

How many attempts do you get in NYT Connections?

Players have four attempts to correctly identify all four categories. Each incorrect category consumes an attempt.