On September 10, 2025, puzzle enthusiasts and word game fans across the globe woke up to a fresh challenge: the latest installment of the New York Times’ Connections, a daily word game that has quickly become a staple in the digital puzzle landscape. Connections, which resets at midnight local time, has been drawing in players with its clever word groupings and the thrill of discovering common threads among seemingly disparate terms. With each new puzzle, fans gather online to share hints, tips, and, for those who need it, the day’s solution. Wednesday’s puzzle—number 822—proved to be both a brain teaser and a testament to the game’s enduring popularity.
For those unfamiliar, Connections is the brainchild of the Times’ Games section, with associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu credited for helping bring the game to life. The premise is simple, but the execution can be devilishly tricky: players are presented with a four-by-four grid of 16 words. The task? To correctly sort these words into four color-coded groups of four, each linked by a hidden connection. Categories can range from pop culture and geography to wordplay and idioms, and there’s only one right answer for each set. Players are allowed up to four mistakes before the game ends, adding a layer of pressure that keeps hearts racing and minds sharp.
According to Mashable, puzzle #822’s categories for September 10 were as follows: the yellow group was labeled “You should know better!”, green was “Move quickly”, blue was “Eddie Murphy roles”, and purple was “King ___”. Each group not only challenged players’ vocabularies but also their ability to spot subtle connections. The yellow category featured words associated with scolding or admonishment: BAD, SHAME, TSK, and TUT TUT. As CNET pointed out, a kid might hear these when they’re in trouble—making it the most straightforward group for many.
The green group, “Move quickly”, included BARREL, FLY, RACE, and ZIP. These words all evoke speed and urgency, a connection that may have tripped up players who initially tried to fit them elsewhere. The blue group was a nod to the comedic genius of Eddie Murphy, whose roles span generations and genres. Here, the correct answers were AKEEM (from Coming to America), DOLITTLE (from Dr. Dolittle), DONKEY (from Shrek), and FOLEY (from Beverly Hills Cop). The purple group, “King ___”, was perhaps the trickiest, requiring players to pair CAKE, COBRA, KONG, and TUT—each forming a well-known phrase or name with the word “King”.
As USA Today and other outlets reported, the structure of Connections encourages players to look for overlapping meanings, synonyms, and cultural references. The game’s interface allows for shuffling the word grid, which can help reveal patterns that aren’t immediately obvious. “If you’re stuck, shuffle the board. You can shuffle as many times as you’d like to help you see some different word combinations,” advised one regular player in their daily blog, echoing a tip that has helped many avoid early elimination. Another common strategy is to tackle the yellow group first, as these are typically the easiest to spot due to their overt similarities—though red herrings abound.
Players are also encouraged to pay attention to feedback after incorrect guesses. As one columnist explained, “When you get an answer wrong, pay attention to the text that appears at the top of the puzzle. ‘One away’ means you only got one word wrong. Analyze each word to find one that might fit better in another group and try a new word.” This incremental approach helps sharpen deductive reasoning skills and can be the difference between a win streak and a quick game over.
For puzzle #822, hints were scattered across the internet. On CNET, the yellow group was described as “A kid might hear this when they’re in trouble,” while the green group got the succinct “Go, go, go!” The blue group’s clue was “Mr. Robinson’s Neighborhood star,” a sly reference to Murphy’s famous SNL character, and the purple group was simply “Not queen, but…”—a nod to the “King ___” pattern. The official group names were eventually revealed, but many players relished the challenge of figuring them out from hints alone.
As with other NYT games like Wordle and the Mini Crossword, Connections has fostered a vibrant online community. Players share their results on social media, compare strategies, and even participate in Discord channels dedicated to daily discussions. The Times has leaned into this enthusiasm, introducing features like the Connections Bot, which analyzes players’ answers and tracks statistics such as win streaks and perfect games. These additions have only deepened the sense of camaraderie and competition among fans.
One blogger, reflecting on their experience with puzzle #822, wrote, “I was pretty excited when I was able to quickly solve the purple group first this time. I had a feeling the blue group had something to do with characters—somehow I didn’t realize it was Eddie Murphy roles though. Not a terribly difficult puzzle for me today.” Such anecdotes are common, as each day’s puzzle brings a new set of triumphs and frustrations. Some days, the connections are immediately clear; on others, a single stubborn word can derail an otherwise promising run.
For those looking to improve, seasoned players recommend taking breaks when stumped. “Stumped? Come back to the puzzle later with a fresher mind. Trying to solve a difficult puzzle without ‘sleeping’ on it might result in too many mistakes,” suggested one tipster. And, as always, there’s the option to consult hints and solutions online for those moments when curiosity outweighs the desire to solve independently.
Connections’ rise to prominence is a testament to the enduring appeal of word games and the ingenuity of the Times’ puzzle team. Each daily challenge is a blend of language, logic, and pop culture—a combination that continues to captivate old-school crossword solvers and new fans alike. As the game’s archive grows and its community flourishes, Connections looks set to remain a fixture in the world of digital puzzles, offering a daily dose of wit and wordplay to anyone willing to take on the challenge.
Whether you guessed the Eddie Murphy roles immediately or found yourself tripped up by “King ___”, puzzle #822 was another memorable entry in the Connections saga—one that left players eager for tomorrow’s reset and the next opportunity to spot the hidden links that bring words, and people, together.
