The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →NYT Connections #838, published Friday, September 26, 2025, groups its words into cooking actions, hard-to-see descriptions, kinds of bears, and phrases beginning with “Dirty.” Hints appear first, followed by the full board and answers.
NYT Connections #838 was published on Friday, September 26, 2025. If you are solving a different puzzle, these are not today’s current hints—the date requested here is historical.
Hints for NYT Connections on September 26, 2025
- Yellow: Think of energetic actions used when mixing ingredients in a bowl.
- Green: These words describe something faint, weak, or difficult to see clearly.
- Blue: Four tiles can precede or identify types of bears, including the bear associated with the word “sun.”
- Purple: Put each remaining tile after “Dirty” to form a familiar phrase.
The 16 words in Connections #838
Here is the complete board for Friday, September 26:
BLONDE, SUN, WORD, PALE, DIM, CREAM, BROWN, RICE, BLACK, LIGHT, FAINT, BEAT, WHISK, POLAR, POOL, WHIP
#1 Best Overall
Connections answers for September 26, 2025
Yellow: STIR VIGOROUSLY
BEAT, CREAM, WHIP, WHISK
Each word describes a vigorous mixing action used in cooking instructions. “Beat,” “whip,” and “whisk” are direct mixing verbs, while “cream” can mean to beat an ingredient—often butter—with another ingredient until smooth and light.
Green: HARD TO MAKE OUT
DIM, FAINT, LIGHT, PALE
These words can describe something weak, faint, or difficult to see clearly. The apparent color connection is a trap: “light” and “pale” may look like they belong with color words elsewhere on the board, but this group is about indistinct appearance or low intensity.
Blue: KINDS OF BEARS
BLACK, BROWN, POLAR, SUN
These form the familiar names black bear, brown bear, polar bear, and sun bear. The word “sun” is the strongest confirmation that this is a bear group rather than a general color grouping.
Purple: DIRTY ___
BLONDE, POOL, RICE, WORD
Each tile completes a familiar phrase: dirty blonde, dirty pool, dirty rice, and dirty word. This is the most opaque category because it depends on phrase completion rather than a single obvious semantic class. “Dirty rice” and “dirty pool” are especially useful checks once the other three groups have been removed.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Rank #3
Why this puzzle was tricky
The biggest red herring is the possible color grouping formed by BLONDE, BROWN, BLACK, and PALE. That set looks plausible at first, but it is not one of the intended categories. Separating the cooking actions from the words describing weak or unclear appearance leaves the four bear terms, after which the remaining tiles resolve into the “Dirty ___” phrases.
More Connections puzzles in book form
If you enjoy the format beyond the daily game, the official Connections puzzle book, Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay, offers more than 100 puzzles in a physical format. It is a companion collection, not a claim that it includes puzzle #838. A broader official NYT Games collection, Puzzle Mania!, also includes Connections-related material alongside other puzzle formats.
NYT Connections is available through NYT Games web and app properties; access and subscription conditions can change, so check the current terms for your region and account.
Rank #4
- The Ultimate Brain Games And Puzzles Book For Adults: Tricky But Fun Brain Teasers, Trivia Challenges, Crosswords, Word Searches And Much More To Keep Your Mind Young And Engaged
- Brand : Red Panda Press
Frequently Asked Questions
What date is this NYT Connections answer guide for?
NYT Connections puzzle #838 was published on Friday, September 26, 2025. It is a historical puzzle, so these answers may not match the current daily game.
What were the four Connections categories on September 26, 2025?
The four categories are STIR VIGOROUSLY, HARD TO MAKE OUT, KINDS OF BEARS, and DIRTY ___.
The Bottom Line
The answers for NYT Connections #838 on September 26, 2025, are: STIR VIGOROUSLY (BEAT, CREAM, WHIP, WHISK), HARD TO MAKE OUT (DIM, FAINT, LIGHT, PALE), KINDS OF BEARS (BLACK, BROWN, POLAR, SUN), and DIRTY ___ (BLONDE, POOL, RICE, WORD).
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.
