Every morning, millions of puzzle enthusiasts reach for their phones or laptops, eager to tackle the latest offering from The New York Times Games section. While Wordle was once the undisputed champion of daily word games, a new contender has captured the public’s imagination: Connections. This clever, sometimes confounding puzzle has quickly become a staple for word lovers and logic fans alike, offering a fresh challenge each day—and, as of September 1, 2025, it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
So, what’s the big deal about Connections? According to Mashable, the game tasks players with finding the “common threads between words.” Each puzzle presents sixteen words, and the challenge is to group them into four sets of four, each set linked by a shared theme. The catch? While many words seem to fit together, only one combination is correct for each group, and players are allowed just four mistakes before the game ends. It’s a simple premise, but the execution can be devilishly tricky.
On September 1, 2025, the puzzle truly put players’ skills to the test. The day’s words—President, Mother, Bishop, Bird, Clergy Member, Premiere, M.L.B. Player, Pope, Saint Valentine, Introduction, N.F.L. Player, Lorde, Launch, Burns, Saint Patrick, and Debut—looked innocent enough at first glance. But as many soon discovered, the connections were anything but obvious. As Eurogamer put it, “today’s puzzle seems extra-tricky,” and even seasoned solvers found themselves stumped by the blue and purple themes.
For those seeking a nudge in the right direction, numerous publications stepped in to offer hints, tips, and, eventually, the full solution. Mashable explained that each group is color-coded to indicate its difficulty: yellow for the easiest, followed by green, blue, and finally purple (the hardest). Hints for the day included clues like “They’re similar to ‘new’” for yellow, “They’ve got their own holiday” for green, “Find the poets” for blue, and “Four meanings of the same word” for purple. As Eurogamer noted, “a lot of the time there are deceptive red herring connections placed purely to throw you off!”
So, what were the solutions? According to both Mashable and Eurogamer, the groups for September 1, 2025, broke down as follows:
Yellow: First Appearance (Debut, Introduction, Launch, Premiere)
Green: Ones Celebrated With Holidays (Mother, President, Saint Patrick, Saint Valentine)
Blue: Famous Poets (Bishop, Burns, Lorde, Pope)
Purple: What “Cardinal” Might Refer To (Bird, Clergy Member, M.L.B. Player, N.F.L. Player)
It’s easy to see why some players struggled. The blue group, for instance, required knowledge of poets like Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Burns, Lorde (the New Zealand poet and singer-songwriter), and Alexander Pope. As one Eurogamer writer admitted, “I always thought I wasn’t wholly uneducated in the realm of poetry, but today’s Connections puzzle was a reality check, as I failed to solve the blue theme. I do know Alexander Pope and Robert Burns, but that wasn’t enough, unfortunately.”
The purple group, meanwhile, hinged on the multiple meanings of the word “Cardinal.” It’s a bird, a clergy member, and—less obviously—a player for both Major League Baseball and the National Football League (think St. Louis Cardinals and Arizona Cardinals, respectively). For many, this was the trickiest connection of all, with Eurogamer noting that “the N.F.L. and M.L.B. part was lost on me—though I did actually match them because they look alike.”
But the real magic of Connections lies in its ability to bring people together. Across the internet, forums and comment sections buzzed as players compared notes, swapped hints, and commiserated over missed connections. The New York Times itself has leaned into this aspect, launching a Connections Bot (similar to the one for Wordle) that allows registered users to track their progress, analyze their answers, and even see how their scores stack up against others. As one NYT Connections Companion article described, “Post your solve grid in the comments and see how your score compares with the editor’s rating, and one another’s.”
Difficulty ratings add another layer of intrigue. The August 31, 2025, puzzle, for example, was rated 3.3 out of 5 by the Times’ testers—challenging, but not impossible. Hints for that day included words like BLAST, CARDS, BASS, and FISH, each a breadcrumb leading solvers towards the elusive connections. And if you didn’t manage to crack the code? No worries—a new puzzle drops at midnight every night, offering a fresh shot at glory (or, at the very least, redemption).
Of course, Connections isn’t just about the answers. It’s about the journey—the thrill of discovery, the agony of near-misses, and the satisfaction of finally seeing the pattern emerge. As Mashable points out, “Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media,” turning what could be a solitary pursuit into a communal celebration (or commiseration).
For those who crave even more brain-teasing fun, the Times’ Games section now features a growing roster of word and logic games, from Mini Crossword and Strands to Wordle and Connections: Sports Edition. And for the truly competitive, tracking stats like win rate, perfect scores, and streaks has become part of the daily ritual.
Looking back over the past few days, the variety and creativity of the puzzles stand out. On August 31, 2025, the categories were: common components of board games, criticize harshly, heteronyms, and “like branches” (sticks). The day before, on August 30, the themes ranged from music genres (emo, funk, metal, pop) to contemporary composers (Cage, Eno, Glass, Reich), with “do exceptionally well” (eat, rock, rule, slay) and “not be good” (bite, blow, stink, suck) rounding out the set. The diversity of topics ensures there’s always something new to learn—or be tripped up by.
So, whether you’re a seasoned wordsmith or a casual puzzler, Connections offers a daily dose of challenge, camaraderie, and the occasional humbling moment. And if today’s puzzle left you scratching your head, just remember: there’s always another chance tomorrow.
