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These clues and answers are for NYT Connections puzzle #812, released Sunday, August 31, 2025. The word bank and groupings below follow TechRadar’s date-specific report. Start with the spoiler-light hints, or skip to the answers when you’re ready.
The 16 words in Connections #812
Sort these words into four groups of four:
DRUM · BASS · FISH · CARDS · FIDDLE · ROAST · DOES · FLAME · CHOP · AXES · BLAST · DICE · COORDINATE · PIECES · BOARD · BASH
Hints for each category
These cues name the connection without listing the complete groups:
- Yellow: Strong put-downs.
- Green: Parts needed for tabletop entertainment.
- Blue: Words spelled the same but pronounced differently.
- Purple: Add a word that rhymes with “picks.”
Answers for August 31
Spoilers below: the category names and all 16 answers are revealed.
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- Yellow — Criticize harshly: BASH, BLAST, FLAME, ROAST
- Green — Common components of board games: BOARD, CARDS, DICE, PIECES
- Blue — Heteronyms: BASS, DOES, DRUM, FISH
- Purple — ___STICKS: AXES, CHOP, COORDINATE, FIDDLE
Play or revisit a Connections puzzle
The New York Times Help Center says the daily Connections game releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. It can be played in the Games app, at nytimes.com/games/connections, at nytimes.com/theathletic, and in the News app. The Help Center also says All Access and Games subscribers can play the archive, which extends back to June 12, 2023. Archived games affect puzzle statistics, but not current or maximum streaks, and a completed archived puzzle cannot be replayed. See the NYT Connections Help Center for the official details.
The date matters: this answer key is for #812 on August 31, 2025, not a different Connections puzzle published on August 31, 2026.
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