NYT Connections puzzle #801, for Wednesday, August 20, 2025, groups its 16 words around black-and-white things, pairs of rods, objects that rotate around a vertical axis, and rods that curve at one end. Spoiler-safe clues come first; the complete groups and answers follow.
Spoiler-safe hints for August 20
- Yellow: Think of monochrome items—something like a zebra or piano keys.
- Green: These are two of a kind, often used as a pair.
- Blue: Looking at these may make you dizzy; consider a record or washing machine.
- Purple: Each has a bend at one end rather than staying straight.
Full Connections #801 solution
Warning: the groups and answers below spoil the puzzle. The 16 tiles were CANDY CANE, CAROUSEL, CEILING FAN, CROOK, ZEBRA, KNITTING NEEDLES, CROCHET HOOK, BARBER POLE, YIN-YANG SYMBOL, CROWBAR, PIANO KEYS, CHOPSTICKS, CLAVES, DOMINO, SKI POLES, and LAZY SUSAN.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS | DOMINO, PIANO KEYS, YIN-YANG SYMBOL, ZEBRA |
| Green | PAIRS OF RODS | CHOPSTICKS, CLAVES, KNITTING NEEDLES, SKI POLES |
| Blue | THINGS THAT ROTATE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS | BARBER POLE, CAROUSEL, CEILING FAN, LAZY SUSAN |
| Purple | RODS THAT CURVE AT ONE END | CANDY CANE, CROCHET HOOK, CROOK, CROWBAR |
Why the groups fit—and where the traps are
Yellow: black-and-white things
A domino, piano keys, the yin-yang symbol, and a zebra all have a black-and-white visual pattern or contrast. The connection is appearance, not how the objects are used.
Green: pairs of rods
Chopsticks, claves, knitting needles, and ski poles are rod-like objects typically used in twos. That paired-use idea is narrower than a loose “sticks” grouping.
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Blue: vertical-axis rotation
A barber pole, carousel, ceiling fan, and lazy Susan each rotate around a vertical axis. This is the shared motion, even though the objects look and function quite differently.
Purple: rods that curve at one end
A candy cane, crochet hook, crook, and crowbar each have a rod-like form that bends or hooks at one end. The grouping is based on shape, not paired use.
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The board’s overlap in stick-like shapes can mislead: a knitting needle belongs with the paired rods, while a crochet hook belongs with the bent rods. A broad “sticks” category would not capture the intended distinctions.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Connections works and how to replay this puzzle
The New York Times describes Connections as a word game in which players sort 16 words into four groups of four sharing a theme. Groups are color-coded: Yellow is the easiest and Purple the trickiest, and each puzzle has exactly one solution. See the NYT Help Center’s Connections information for official rules and access details.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe Help Center says the daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone and can be played on NYT platforms. Its archive is available to All Access and Games subscribers, so replaying this historical August 20, 2025 puzzle may require archive access.
