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NYT Connections puzzle #809, for Thursday, August 28, 2025, groups its 16 words around places to get trapped, tea, hardness and keyboard keys. If you’re solving, start with the hints below; the full groups and answers are farther down, after a spoiler warning.
How Connections works
Connections presents a grid of 16 words and asks players to sort them into four color-coded groups. You have four guesses before the game ends, and the puzzle refreshes daily at midnight. An in-game lightbulb offers a hint.
Hints for puzzle #809
Try these from least to most revealing, and stop when you have enough to continue:
- Where might someone get stuck?
- What might you need to make a caffeinated drink other than coffee?
- Think of items that are not soft.
- What do you use to type on a computer?
Strategies if you’re stuck
- Use “one away” feedback to reconsider a near-miss rather than changing several words at once.
- Shuffle the board to see whether a different arrangement makes pairings easier to spot.
- Try an obvious group, such as the yellow one, but check whether any of its words could also fit another category.
- If you’re not seeing a pattern, take a break and return with fresh eyes.
Spoilers: Connections answers for August 28, 2025
The following list reveals all four groups for puzzle #809.
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Blank Slate Board Game, A Party Game of Addicting Predictions
- The game where _______ minds think alike!
- Prepare yourself for Blank Slate, a game of addicting predictions! How well can you put your finger on what everyone's thinking?
- Pick a Word Cue card, write the word you think best completes the phrase, and try to match it to anther player's word without giving a single hint
- Easy to learn, quick to play, and fun for the whole family; just grab a slate, write a word, and get ready to make a match. Great for large groups or small gatherings!
- Includes: Scoreboard, 8 dry-erase slates, 250 doubled-sided word cue cards, rules
- Yellow — Places to get trapped: NET, SNARE, TANGLE, WEB
- Green — Used for tea: CUP, KETTLE, TEABAG, WATER
- Blue — Associated with hardness: DIAMOND, NAILS, ROCK, STEEL
- Purple — Ending with keyboard keys: CANTAB, CYBERSPACE, ICECAPS, MAKESHIFT
The purple connection is a word-ending trick: each word ends with the name of a keyboard key—Tab, Space, Caps and Shift, respectively.
Quick Recap
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Asmodee So Clover! Party Game - Cooperative Word Association Board Game for Ages 10+, 3-6 Players, 30 Min Playtime
- UNIQUE COOPERATIVE WORD GAME: Write one clue connecting two keywords on each clover leaf. Teammates guess which keyword pair each clue links in this inventive, laugh-out-loud word association game
- CREATIVE PARTY GAME FOR ADULTS: So Clover! challenges players to make unexpected word connections. The more creative your clues, the higher your team scores in this hilarious adult party game
- GREAT FOR WORD GAME FANS: So Clover! takes cooperative word games to the next level with a unique multi-clue clover structure that delivers fresh, surprising, and satisfying creative connections
- FAST, FUN & SOCIAL: Plays in under 30 minutes with 3-6 players ages 10 and up. So Clover! is quick to setup, with no filler, just pure creative energy and highly collaborative family fun from the very first round
- IDEAL GIFT FOR ADULTS & FAMILIES: So Clover! is the party game gift for anyone who loves wordplay and creative thinking. Easy to teach in minutes, endlessly engaging at any family game night
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CGE Codenames Board Game (2nd Edition)
- Two teams race to identify their agents from a 5×5 grid, guided by a spymaster who knows each card’s identity
- Spymasters give one-word clues and a number to link multiple cards, encouraging creative thinking
- Teammates guess words matching the clue while avoiding the other team’s agents, bystanders, and the assassin
- Revealing the assassin ends the game instantly, adding high-stakes tension
- Teams may guess up to the clue number plus one, allowing strategic risks or revisiting old clues
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Subtext Showdown: Word Association Board Games for Adults, Teens & Family (3-6 Players) — Fun Games for Adults and Teens Groups — Funny Card Games for Family Game Night or Birthday Party
- STRATEGIC THINKING: Elevate the fun with this game, where players strategically choose word combinations, making it perfect for party games for adults and family, enhancing both depth and complexity.
- MULTIPLAYER FUN: Engage in multiplayer entertainment with Subtext Showdown, perfect for game nights with 3 to 6 participants, promoting communication and creative thinking in the realm of adult games for game night.
- POINTS OF PRECISION: Accumulate points by adeptly deducing associations or demonstrating telepathic synchronicity, ensuring a gratifying experience for effective communication and intuitive connections in adult board games.
- RACE AGAINST TIME: With a ticking clock, players must think quickly and make their associations before time runs out, adding an exciting element of urgency to the game.
- EXCITING PERFECT GIFT: Combine phrases from the 16 cards to form associations that friends can decode, providing an exhilarating challenge in teen-friendly card games, perfect gift for any occasion.
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