NYT Connections #837 was published on Thursday, September 25, 2025. The puzzle groups its 16 words around political language, ice-cream-shop orders, Matt Damon films, and things named Apollo. If you want to solve it yourself, start with the word list and graduated hints below; the complete answers are farther down.
Spoiler warning: The hints become increasingly revealing, and the full solution follows the one-answer-per-group section.
![Word Games Puzzles Book/Decode the Message – 4 Pack [Paperback] Penny Press/Dell Magazines](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VZGQMVuBL._SL160_.jpg)
How to play NYT Connections
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to sort them into four groups of four. Each group has a shared connection, and the categories are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is generally the most straightforward, followed by green, blue, and purple. You have a limited number of incorrect guesses, so it is usually better to lock in a group only when all four entries fit cleanly.
For the official game rules and Connections help, see the official NYT Games Connections guide.
#1 Best Overall
The 16 words in Connections #837
Here is the complete board before any clues:
- BLUE
- CONE
- CUP
- DEPARTED
- FICTIONAL BOXER
- GREEK/ROMAN GOD
- GOOD SHEPHERD
- LEFT
- LIBERAL
- MARTIAN
- PROGRESSIVE
- RAINMAKER
- SHAKE
- SPACECRAFT
- SPLIT
- THEATER
Hints for each category
These clues are arranged from the least revealing to the most revealing. Try returning to the word list after each one.
Yellow hint
Think political orientation rather than physical direction or color.
Green hint
These are things someone might order at an ice cream shop.
Rank #2
Blue hint
Add “The” before each answer to get the title of a Matt Damon movie.
Recommended Free Tools
Purple hint
Each answer can be preceded or followed by “Apollo,” or is directly associated with a named Apollo.
One answer from each group
If you need a more direct nudge without seeing the entire solution, one representative answer from each category is:
- Yellow: LEFT
- Green: SHAKE
- Blue: GOOD SHEPHERD
- Purple: THEATER
NYT Connections #837 answers
The complete group assignments for September 25, 2025, are below.
Yellow: Politically left-leaning
- BLUE
- LEFT
- LIBERAL
- PROGRESSIVE
Why it works: “Left,” “liberal,” and “progressive” are direct political descriptors. In U.S. political terminology, “blue” can also refer to the Democratic or left-leaning side. That makes BLUE the likely trap: it initially looks like a simple color, while the intended connection is political.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Green: Ice-cream-parlor orders
- CONE
- CUP
- SHAKE
- SPLIT
Why it works: A cone and a cup are ways to order ice cream, while a shake and a split refer to familiar shop orders—especially a milkshake and a banana split. The category is about things you might request at an ice cream counter, not four types of ice cream.
Blue: Matt Damon movies with “The”
- DEPARTED → The Departed
- GOOD SHEPHERD → The Good Shepherd
- MARTIAN → The Martian
- RAINMAKER → The Rainmaker
Why it works: Each board entry becomes the title of a film featuring Matt Damon when the leading article “The” is restored. This is one of the more concrete groups if you recognize the films, but the shortened entries can look like ordinary nouns until the movie pattern appears.
Purple: Associated with “Apollo”
- FICTIONAL BOXER → Apollo Creed
- GREEK/ROMAN GOD → Apollo
- SPACECRAFT → Apollo spacecraft and program
- THEATER → Apollo Theater
Why it works: The four clues point to different uses of the name Apollo. Apollo Creed is the fictional boxer from the Rocky films; Apollo is a major figure in Greek mythology and was adopted into Roman mythology; NASA’s Apollo program used Apollo spacecraft; and the Apollo Theater is the famous Harlem performance venue. This broad, allusive category is the puzzle’s purple group.
Why this puzzle can be tricky
Several words encourage you toward the wrong pattern before the intended groups become clear.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Best Value
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
- BLUE can suggest a color, but it belongs with political terms.
- MARTIAN and SPACECRAFT both evoke science fiction or space, even though only MARTIAN belongs to the Matt Damon movie group and SPACECRAFT belongs to Apollo.
- FICTIONAL BOXER, THEATER, and GREEK/ROMAN GOD seem unrelated until you identify the shared name Apollo.
- CONE, CUP, SHAKE, and SPLIT are connected by what a customer might order, rather than by a single kind of dessert.
A sensible solving route is to notice the three obvious political descriptors—LEFT, LIBERAL, and PROGRESSIVE—then test BLUE as the fourth. After that, the ice-cream orders are relatively concrete. The film titles and Apollo references resolve the remaining eight words.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.More puzzles to try offline
If you enjoy Connections but want something away from a screen, NYT Games: Puzzle Mania! is a physical collection of New York Times puzzles that can complement the daily game. Check the current retailer listing and edition details before buying. This is an independent recommendation, not a claim of endorsement by the New York Times.
Disclosure: This article may contain monetized product references. Any commercial relationship does not change the answer key or editorial explanation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the answer to NYT Connections #837 on September 25, 2025?
The groups were Politically left-leaning: BLUE, LEFT, LIBERAL, and PROGRESSIVE; Ice-cream-parlor orders: CONE, CUP, SHAKE, and SPLIT; Matt Damon movies with “The”: DEPARTED, GOOD SHEPHERD, MARTIAN, and RAINMAKER; and Associated with “Apollo”: FICTIONAL BOXER, GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPACECRAFT, and THEATER.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
What was the purple category in Connections #837?
The purple category was “Associated with Apollo.” It included FICTIONAL BOXER for Apollo Creed, GREEK/ROMAN GOD for the deity Apollo, SPACECRAFT for NASA’s Apollo spacecraft and program, and THEATER for the Apollo Theater.
Why is BLUE in the yellow group?
BLUE refers to the Democratic or left-leaning side of U.S. political terminology. It joins LEFT, LIBERAL, and PROGRESSIVE in the category “Politically left-leaning.”
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: Connections #837 used BLUE, LEFT, LIBERAL, and PROGRESSIVE for the yellow political group; CONE, CUP, SHAKE, and SPLIT for ice-cream-parlor orders; DEPARTED, GOOD SHEPHERD, MARTIAN, and RAINMAKER for Matt Damon films beginning with “The”; and FICTIONAL BOXER, GREEK/ROMAN GOD, SPACECRAFT, and THEATER for things associated with Apollo.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
