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This is the Sunday, November 16, 2025 edition of NYT Connections, game #889—not the puzzle for today. Start with the gentle clue below, then open the category hints or the full answer key if you need more help.
How Connections works
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four, with each group sharing a connection. The categories are color-coded by difficulty. TechRadar says players can make up to four mistakes and can play through NYT Games on desktop or mobile; Forbes also describes a “one away” signal when a guess has three correct words. These are descriptions from the two guides, not current official access terms.
A gentle clue for game #889
Look for four different kinds of link: a way of doing something, a word for the ordinary, things associated with stripes, and wording found on Monopoly spaces. Some tiles can fit more than one tempting idea, so test each group as a set of four.
Hints by category
- Yellow: Think of a way or system for doing or thinking about something.
- Green: These words describe what is ordinary or unremarkable.
- Blue: Look for objects or designs associated with stripes or bands.
- Purple: These words appear in the names of Monopoly squares.
Why the grid can mislead
AVENUE, PARKING, and RAILROAD may suggest roads or transport, but their intended connection is their appearance in Monopoly square names. Likewise, BANAL, EVERYDAY, and PEDESTRIAN point toward ordinary things; the full green set is defined by the idea of “run-of-the-mill.” BARCODE and ZEBRA are useful cues for stripes, but each category needs all four words, not just a plausible pair.
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Full answers for November 16, 2025
Spoilers below: The groups and all 16 tiles are revealed here.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | TECHNIQUE | APPROACH, METHOD, PHILOSOPHY, SCHOOL |
| Green | RUN-OF-THE-MILL | BANAL, EVERYDAY, HUMDRUM, PEDESTRIAN |
| Blue | STRIPY THINGS | BARCODE, IBM LOGO, RUGBY SHIRT, ZEBRA |
| Purple | WORDS ON MONOPOLY SQUARES | AVENUE, PARKING, RAILROAD, TAX |
The complete word list is PEDESTRIAN, BARCODE, TAX, RAILROAD, ZEBRA, EVERYDAY, SCHOOL, AVENUE, RUGBY SHIRT, APPROACH, BANAL, PARKING, PHILOSOPHY, HUMDRUM, IBM LOGO, and METHOD.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources
TechRadar’s November 15, 2025 guide and Forbes’ November 15, 2025 guide independently identify this as game #889 and report the same categories and answers: TechRadar and Forbes.
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