Every morning, as the clock strikes midnight in each time zone, a fresh mental challenge appears for word game enthusiasts worldwide: the New York Times’ Connections puzzle. On November 17, 2025, puzzle #890 landed, offering a new set of 16 words and a web of hidden relationships for players to unravel. As with every day, the puzzle’s arrival was met with a flurry of anticipation, speculation, and, inevitably, some head-scratching. But what makes this daily ritual so compelling, and how did today’s puzzle stump—and delight—its global audience?
For those unfamiliar, NYT Connections is the latest in a string of hit games from The New York Times Games team, joining the likes of Wordle and Spelling Bee in capturing the attention of millions. The premise is deceptively simple: players are given a four-by-four grid of 16 seemingly unrelated words. The challenge? Sort them into four groups of four, each linked by a subtle, sometimes slippery, commonality. Each group is color-coded by difficulty—yellow for the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple, which is typically the trickiest. The fun lies in the lateral thinking required, as well as the thrill of spotting connections that aren’t immediately obvious.
According to Insider Gaming, today’s words were: TABOO, SLAM DUNK, GO-GETTER, SURE THING, SHOO-IN, SCATTERGORIES, OKEY-DOKE, PROSCRIBED, ALLEY-OOP, ABSOLUTELY, VERBOTEN, FADEAWAY, OFF-LIMITS, LEAVENING, FINGER ROLL, and OF COURSE. At first glance, the list looks like a jumble—a mix of sports jargon, affirmative phrases, game titles, and even some words with a slightly mischievous edge. But as experienced solvers know, the trick is to look past the surface and hunt for those elusive patterns.
For those seeking a nudge, TechRadar and The Economic Times offered hints for each group. The yellow group’s clue was “Hell, yeah!”—suggesting a set of words expressing enthusiastic agreement. The green group was marked “No entry,” pointing toward words denoting prohibition or restriction. “NBA skills” was the blue group’s theme, a nod to basketball maneuvers. Finally, the purple group was the most cryptic: “starting with synonyms for ‘scram!’,” which required a bit of creative wordplay.
After plenty of shuffling, guessing, and maybe a few exasperated sighs, the official answers were revealed. The yellow group—“YOU BET”—consisted of ABSOLUTELY, OF COURSE, OKEY-DOKE, and SURE THING. Each is a colloquial way to say “yes” or to express certainty, making this perhaps the most approachable group of the day. As one solver noted on Insider Gaming, “It’s relatively simple, and that’s why it’s the best New York Times game, in my opinion.”
The green group, “FORBIDDEN,” was a little trickier. It included OFF-LIMITS, PROSCRIBED, TABOO, and VERBOTEN. All four words are synonyms for something not allowed or strictly prohibited, though their origins and usage vary—VERBOTEN, for instance, is borrowed from German, while PROSCRIBED has a more formal, legal flavor. The blue group, “BASKETBALL SHOTS,” was made up of ALLEY-OOP, FADEAWAY, FINGER ROLL, and SLAM DUNK. Even those unfamiliar with basketball might have recognized SLAM DUNK, but others—like FINGER ROLL or ALLEY-OOP—might have tripped up non-sports fans. “As someone playing Connections from the UK and with no idea about US sports, it’s always a thrill to get a sports group correct,” admitted one contributor to TechRadar.
Then there was the purple group: “STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR ‘SCRAM!’.” This was arguably the most challenging set, featuring GO-GETTER, LEAVENING, SCATTERGORIES, and SHOO-IN. The common thread? Each word starts with a word or phrase that means “go away” or “leave”—GO, LEAVE, SCAT, and SHOO. It’s a clever twist that rewards players who think outside the box, and perhaps punishes those who stick too closely to literal meanings.
In terms of difficulty, today’s puzzle was rated as “easy” by some outlets, while others pegged it as low to moderate. The New York Times itself, through its Connections Companion article, reported a tester difficulty rating of 2.7 out of 5 for the previous day’s puzzle, suggesting that the editorial team strives to balance challenge and accessibility. The game’s design gives players four guesses per puzzle, with each incorrect attempt bringing them closer to a game over. That pressure, combined with the daily reset at midnight local time, keeps the stakes high and the competition friendly.
For those who missed a perfect score, there’s always tomorrow. The game’s daily cadence and the community that’s sprung up around it—complete with forums, Discord servers, and social media groups—mean that every day brings a new opportunity to flex one’s mental muscles. As Insider Gaming pointed out, “You’ll have 24 hours to complete the puzzle when midnight ticks over in your timezone.” And if you’re stuck, hints and solutions are just a click away, published by a variety of outlets shortly after the puzzle goes live.
NYT Connections’ appeal lies not just in its clever construction, but in its accessibility. It’s free to play on both desktop and mobile via the NYT Games site, and its shareable results encourage friendly rivalry. As The Economic Times notes, “The daily challenge rewards lateral thinking and a readiness to spot both literal and looser lexical links.” The game’s popularity has soared since its launch in June 2023, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
For those eager for more, the NYT Games suite offers plenty of other brainteasers—Wordle, Strands, the Mini crossword, and Spelling Bee among them. But for now, Connections remains the darling of the word game world, a daily ritual that brings together solvers of all ages and backgrounds.
As the sun sets on another Connections puzzle, players can reflect on their victories (or near-misses) and look forward to tomorrow’s challenge. After all, there’s always another grid to conquer—and another set of connections waiting to be found.
