The New York Times Connections puzzle offers a daily word challenge designed to expand vocabulary. Players must identify hidden connections between words and categorize them into groups of four. This word puzzle, created by The New York Times as part of its gaming platform, was initially launched for PC on June 12, 2023, during its beta phase. Now, it stands as the second-most-played game on the NYT platform, following Wordle. This article provides hints, strategies, and the answers for the September 2, 2025 puzzle, encouraging players to test their skills.
Connections challenges players to test their vocabulary and improve their word knowledge. Wyna Liu, associate puzzle editor at The New York Times, developed the Connections puzzle game. Players receive 16 random words and must sort them into distinct categories. The game provides Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty levels, offering an opportunity to boost vocabulary and enjoy a brain-teasing experience. The game is widely popular on social media platforms, with users sharing their solutions and experiences.
For the September 2, 2025 puzzle, the hints are: Yellow relates to various terms for offensive or taboo language; Green focuses on key words and images from a classic Christmas poem; Blue involves clothing and accessories associated with a particular doll; and Purple covers words beginning with possessive determiners.
The puzzle categories for September 2, 2025 are: Yellow – CURSES; Green – IN “A VISIT FROM ST.NICHOLAS”; Blue – WORN BY EARRING MAGIC KEN; Purple – STARTING WITH POSSESIVE DETERMINERS.
The answers for September 2, 2025 are: Yellow – CURSES: EXPLETIVES, FOUR-LETTER WORDS, PROFANITY, SWEARING; Green – IN “A VISIT FROM ST.NICHOLAS”: CHRISTMAS, HOUSE, MOUSE, STIRRING; Blue – WORN BY EARRING MAGIC KEN: EARRING, MESH SHIRT, NECKLACE, PLEATHER VEST; Purple – STARTING WITH POSSESIVE DETERMINERS: HERRING, HISTAMINE, MYSTERY, OUROBOROS.
To play Connections, players encounter a grid of words and must identify the underlying connections. Success requires considering synonyms, antonyms, and word families. The game offers helpful hints. Players can also track their progress, challenge friends, and receive a new puzzle daily at midnight. The objective is to organize 16 words into four groups of four, based on the connections between them. Players must be cautious of words that may fit in multiple categories. Each group is color-coded, with yellow being typically the easiest, and purple being the most challenging, often involving wordplay. Players make a selection and submit their guess. Incorrect guesses result in lost lives. Correct groups are rewarded, while making four mistakes results in game over.
