Skip to main content

Cracking September 12, 2025 NYT Connections: A Walk‑Through, Hint Ladder, and Full Solution

Posted on September 12, 2025 — by Staff Writer

Time to Solve:10
Word Count:~236 words

Ah, the delightful world of entreaties! Today’s Connections puzzle is a charming mix of words that’ll have you appealing for answers faster than you can say 'PETITION.' With categories that range from the practical (like CONTACT INFO) to the more niche (anyone else feeling a little telephoto today?), this puzzle invites you to flex your mental muscles. The trickiest part? Those purple bodies of water with a twist—good luck deciphering 'FINLET'! Dive in and see what connections you can make!


What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is The New York Times' daily word-association puzzle that challenges you to group 16 seemingly random words into four hidden categories. Each set of Connections answers is unique, ranging from pop-culture references to tricky linguistic twists, making it a fresh brain-teaser every day. Whether you're hunting for subtle hints, full solutions, or an archive of past puzzles, our site delivers everything you need to conquer today's NYT Connections and sharpen your puzzle-solving skills.


Today's Grid

APPEAL
BID
CALL
PETITION
ADDRESS
EMAIL
NAME
NUMBER
FISHEYE
MACRO
TELEPHOTO
ZOOM
DRIVER
EBAY
FINLET
FLAKE

Remember: the NYT shuffles the tiles each time you open the puzzle, so your on‑screen layout might differ. The words themselves, however, are identical.


🪜 Hint Ladder

Choose the lightest nudge you need—each door opens to a bigger clue.


🎉 Full Solution (Spoilers Ahead!) 🎉

Nailed it in four? 🎯 Gold star! Needed a few swings first? You're in fine company—the purple decoys were downright devious today.


Strategy Spotlight: How to Approach This Puzzle

In this puzzle, solvers often struggle with the purple group, which includes terms that relate to bodies of water but are not immediately recognizable. For example, words like 'FINLET' and 'FLAKE' may confuse players because they don’t overtly signal a connection to water. Additionally, 'EBAY' stands out as an outlier, as it is a well-known online marketplace rather than a body of water. This can lead solvers to misidentify it as belonging to the water category, causing them to waste time trying to fit it into the purple group.

Another area where solvers might get stuck is in the yellow group, which consists of synonyms related to requests or appeals. The terms 'PETITION' and 'ENTREATY' might not immediately come to mind for everyone, and players might struggle to connect 'CALL' and 'BID' with these more formal terms. This can create confusion, as players may think they are looking for a more specific theme rather than a general category of appeals. To distinguish the real groups from plausible decoys, solvers should look for clear thematic connections and relationships among the words. For instance, identifying that all terms in the green group relate to contact information can help eliminate any confusion surrounding ambiguous terms in other groups.

One useful heuristic for players is to categorize words based on their obvious attributes before diving deeper into less apparent connections. For example, starting with the green group, as it has a clear and distinct theme, can help solidify the foundation for solving the rest of the puzzle. Another strategy is to consider potential categories before scanning the words; this can streamline the thought process and direct focus toward identifying terms that fit those categories, reducing the chance of misclassification. By practicing these strategies, players can enhance their efficiency and accuracy in future puzzles.


Final Thoughts

Today’s puzzle was a refreshing mix of clarity and challenge, with the purples adding a splash of mystery. Whether you breezed through or wrestled with it, we hope you enjoyed the ride! Join us tomorrow for more wordy fun!

Happy connecting, and see you in the squares!