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Spoiler warning: The hints below start gently; the full solution for the Tuesday, August 12, 2025, NYT Connections puzzle (#793) appears afterward.
Hints for Connections #793
Use these clues in order if you want to preserve as much of the puzzle as possible. The first set gives prompts associated with the four groups; the second names each group’s theme.
Gentle clues
- “___ toes down”
- “Stay in your own ___”
- “If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere”
- “Can’t hold water”
These editorial hints were published by Parade.
Stronger clues
- Number Ten
- Has lanes
- Lower Manhattan
- Things with holes
These themes are listed in WordHint.
Answers for Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Full spoilers below. The sixteen words sort into these four groups:
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Groups of ten | BOWLING PINS, COMMANDMENTS, DECADE, FINGERS |
| Places with lanes | BOWLING ALLEY, HIGHWAY, SUPERMARKET, SWIMMING POOL |
| Landmarks in downtown NYC | BOWLING GREEN, BROOKLYN BRIDGE, CITY HALL, WALL STREET |
| Things with holes | BOWLING BALL, COLANDER, GOLF COURSE, SPONGE |
The four category labels and placements are confirmed by the dated guides from WordHint, Parade, and TechRadar.
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The complete word bank
BOWLING BALL, CITY HALL, SUPERMARKET, BOWLING PINS, GOLF COURSE, BOWLING ALLEY, SPONGE, BOWLING GREEN, DECADE, HIGHWAY, WALL STREET, FINGERS, BROOKLYN BRIDGE, COLANDER, SWIMMING POOL, COMMANDMENTS.
Why the bowling words are easy to mix up
Four answers begin with “BOWLING,” but each belongs to a different category: BOWLING PINS are in the group of ten; a BOWLING ALLEY is a place with lanes; BOWLING GREEN is a downtown New York landmark; and a BOWLING BALL is something with holes. The shared word is a deliberate distraction, not the organizing rule.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.About the game
TechRadar’s August 2025 guide describes Connections as a game in which players sort sixteen items into four groups of four, with up to four mistakes allowed. That guide also reported that the game could be played free through the NYT Games site at the time; that historical report does not establish current pricing or availability.
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