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NYT Connections puzzle #902 was published on Saturday, November 29, 2025. The puzzle’s four categories were ABDOMINAL AREA, REPLACEMENT, PARK STAPLES, and BLACKJACK TERMS.
Need a nudge rather than the solution? The hints below progress from subtle to specific. The complete 16-word grid and answers appear farther down, after a clear spoiler warning.
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Hints for Connections #902
Try to solve the grid before revealing the answers. Each category contains four words.
Yellow hint
Look for other names for the middle or central area of the body.
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Green hint
These words can describe a person or thing that fills in for another.
Blue hint
Think of things commonly encountered in a public park.
Purple hint
These are terms used while playing the casino card game whose target is 21.
One-word clues
If you need a little more help, one representative entry from each group is:
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- Yellow: TORSO
- Green: COVER
- Blue: PIGEON
- Purple: HIT
The 16 words in Connections #902
The complete grid was:
PIGEON, BUST, TREE, SPLIT, HIT, BACKUP, STAND, RELIEF, TRUNK, COVER, STATUE, TORSO, BENCH, CORE, MIDSECTION, SUBSTITUTE
Spoiler: Connections #902 answers
Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle yourself. The complete groupings and explanations are below.
Yellow: ABDOMINAL AREA
CORE, MIDSECTION, TORSO, TRUNK
Each of these words can describe the central section of the human body. “Core” is also used more broadly to mean a center or source of strength, while “trunk” may refer to a tree, a vehicle storage compartment, or the main stem of a plant. Those extra meanings make the yellow group less immediately obvious than it first appears.
Green: REPLACEMENT
BACKUP, COVER, RELIEF, SUBSTITUTE
All four entries can refer to a person or thing used in place of the primary option. A backup is available if the original fails or is unavailable; a substitute takes another person’s place; and cover can describe someone filling in for a colleague. “Relief” can similarly mean a replacement worker or athlete, adding a workplace and sports-related ambiguity.
Blue: PARK STAPLES
BENCH, PIGEON, STATUE, TREE
These are familiar sights or features of a public park: a bench for seating, pigeons, statues or memorial artwork, and trees. The category is deliberately broad. Each word can easily pull the solver toward another possible grouping—furniture, animals, art, or nature—rather than toward the shared park setting.
Purple: BLACKJACK TERMS
BUST, HIT, SPLIT, STAND
In blackjack, to hit is to request another card, while to stand is to keep the current hand. A player may split a qualifying pair into two separate hands, and a player busts by exceeding 21. These are all ordinary English words, which makes them especially effective as the puzzle’s most misleading group.
Why this grid was tricky
A useful way to approach this puzzle is to start with the most direct anatomical terms: CORE, MIDSECTION, TORSO, and TRUNK. Once those are removed, the replacement group becomes more visible through BACKUP, COVER, RELIEF, and SUBSTITUTE.
The remaining words can still invite several interpretations. Imagine a physical public park to connect BENCH, PIGEON, STATUE, and TREE. The last four—BUST, HIT, SPLIT, and STAND—fall into place once they are read as blackjack vocabulary rather than as general verbs and nouns.
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How NYT Connections works
Connections presents 16 words that must be divided into four groups of four. Each group is linked by a common relationship, but many entries have multiple meanings or associations designed to create false leads.
The groups are color-coded by difficulty:
- Yellow is generally the most approachable.
- Green is somewhat more involved.
- Blue usually requires a less obvious connection.
- Purple is typically the most difficult or wordplay-heavy.
Players have a limited number of incorrect guesses, so it is often better to identify a strong group of four before submitting a speculative combination. Also watch for words that could belong to more than one apparent category; Connections frequently uses those overlaps as decoys.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
What was the answer to NYT Connections #902?
The four groups for Saturday, November 29, 2025, were ABDOMINAL AREA (CORE, MIDSECTION, TORSO, TRUNK), REPLACEMENT (BACKUP, COVER, RELIEF, SUBSTITUTE), PARK STAPLES (BENCH, PIGEON, STATUE, TREE), and BLACKJACK TERMS (BUST, HIT, SPLIT, STAND).
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteWhat date was Connections puzzle #902?
Connections #902 was the puzzle published on Saturday, November 29, 2025.
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.
What are the blackjack terms in Connections #902?
BUST, HIT, SPLIT, and STAND are the blackjack terms. In the game, a player can hit for another card, stand on the current hand, split a qualifying pair, or bust by going over 21.
What does the yellow group mean in Connections #902?
The yellow category, ABDOMINAL AREA, consists of CORE, MIDSECTION, TORSO, and TRUNK.
The Bottom Line
Connections #902 grouped four central-body terms, four replacement terms, four familiar park sights, and four blackjack actions. The final solution was ABDOMINAL AREA, REPLACEMENT, PARK STAPLES, and BLACKJACK TERMS.
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