NYT Connections Game: Hints and Answers for Sunday, February 23, 2025

Image credits: Credit: Ian Moore, Connections/NYT

The NYT Connections game is a popular daily word game that requires players to find connections between 16 given words and group them into four categories. The game is available on the New York Times website and Games app, and players can access the archive of previous games with an NYT All Access or Games subscription. To play the game, players need to select a group of four words that have something in common, and if they guess correctly, the category and color will be revealed. The game is designed to be tricky, with overlapping groups and wordplay involved, and players need to be careful when making their guesses to avoid losing lives.

The key to winning the game is to be open-minded and look for connections between words that may not be immediately apparent. Players can use various strategies, such as looking for words that seem to have no connection to the others, or using wordplay to find connections between words. The game also requires players to be careful when making their guesses, as incorrect guesses can result in losing lives. With practice and experience, players can improve their skills and increase their chances of winning. The NYT Connections game is a fun and challenging way to improve vocabulary and critical thinking skills, and players can share their results with friends on social media and group chats.

For the Sunday, February 23, 2025, game, the 16 words are: PICKLE, JAM, SCRAPE, GRIND, GUTS, TEA, SYRUP, BUTTER, MILK, CAN, FERMENT, FREEZE, GNASH, GRATE, HOT SAUCE, and BEANS. The hints for the game are: PICKLE and JAM could both refer to being in a metaphorically sticky situation, but they have more literal meanings today. GRIND is something your molars do to break down food. If you’re upset about something minor, someone might tell you not to cry over a certain kind of MILK. The connections between the words are not always straightforward, and players need to use their critical thinking skills to find the correct groups.

The groups for the game are: the yellow grouping, which is considered to be the most straightforward, with the theme of RUB TOGETHER and the words: GNASH, GRATE, GRIND, SCRAPE; the green grouping, which is supposed to be the second-easiest, with the theme of WAYS TO PRESERVE FOOD and the words: CAN, FERMENT, FREEZE, PICKLE; the blue grouping, which is the second-hardest, with the theme of BREAKFAST CONDIMENTS and the words: BUTTER, HOT SAUCE, JAM, SYRUP; and the purple grouping, which is considered to be the hardest, with the theme of PROVERBIAL THINGS THAT ARE SPILLED and the words: BEANS, GUTS, MILK, TEA. The game requires players to think creatively and make connections between words that may not be immediately apparent.

Players can use the hints and analysis provided to improve their chances of winning the game. By looking at the words and trying to find connections between them, players can increase their chances of guessing the correct groups. The game is a fun and challenging way to improve vocabulary and critical thinking skills, and players can share their results with friends on social media and group chats. With practice and experience, players can become more skilled at finding connections between words and improve their chances of winning the game.