The NYT Connections puzzle for Sunday, September 21, 2025 is game #833. Below you’ll find spoiler-free category hints first, followed by the 16-word grid and complete answers. September 21, 2026 is a Monday, so the Sunday puzzle referenced here is from 2025.
Today’s Connections hints for September 21
Try these nudges before revealing the word groups:
- Yellow: Touchscreen actions or smartphone operation.
- Green: Ways to take it easy or calm down.
- Blue: Places to sit when eating out.
- Purple: Vegetables with their first letter removed.
The 16 words
Here is the complete grid for Connections #833:
ALE, TAP, VEG, TABLE, BAR, LOUNGE, QUASH, PINCH, HIVE, COUNTER, SCROLL, EEK, SWIPE, LOAF, BOOTH, CHILL
Spoiler warning: The complete groups and explanations appear below.
Today’s NYT Connections answers
Yellow: TOUCHSCREEN GESTURES
PINCH, SCROLL, SWIPE, TAP
These are all familiar actions performed on a touchscreen. You can pinch to zoom, scroll through a page, swipe between screens, or tap an icon or button.
#1 Best Overall
Green: RELAX
CHILL, LOAF, LOUNGE, VEG
Each word can describe taking it easy. “Veg” is being used informally as a verb meaning to relax or spend time idly, as in “veg out.”
Blue: RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS
BAR, BOOTH, COUNTER, TABLE
These can all identify places or arrangements where someone might sit while eating or drinking at a restaurant, diner, or bar.
Rank #2
Purple: VEGETABLES WITH THEIR FIRST LETTER REMOVED
ALE, EEK, HIVE, QUASH
Restore one initial letter to each word:
| Grid word | Vegetable | Removed letter |
|---|---|---|
| ALE | KALE | K |
| EEK | LEEK | L |
| HIVE | CHIVE | C |
| QUASH | SQUASH | S |
This is a wordplay category: the displayed words are not vegetables by themselves, but become vegetable names when their first letters are restored.
Tricky words and likely traps
- TAP may suggest a bar, especially because a tap can dispense a drink. In this grid, however, it belongs with PINCH, SCROLL, and SWIPE as a touchscreen gesture.
- LOUNGE can sound like a place or venue, which may make it tempting to group with BAR or another seating word. Its intended connection is the verb meaning to relax, alongside CHILL, LOAF, and VEG.
- The purple group is easier once you look for a shared letter transformation rather than a shared meaning. Adding an initial letter produces KALE, LEEK, CHIVE, and SQUASH.
How NYT Connections works
Connections asks players to divide 16 words into four groups of four. Every word belongs in exactly one group, but the puzzle often includes misleading overlaps such as today’s “TAP” and “LOUNGE.” The groups are conventionally presented from yellow, the most straightforward, through green and blue to purple, which is usually the most wordplay-heavy.
The Tool Desk
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The game is available through the New York Times Games website and app. If you want more puzzles away from a screen, the official Connections puzzle book is a print collection curated by Connections editor Wyna Liu. It is a separate book product, and there is no basis here to claim that it contains puzzle #833.
More puzzles
For a screen-free collection focused specifically on the game, Connections in book form is the closest match to this daily answer guide. Readers looking for a wider selection can also consider a broader New York Times Games collection, although those books are not limited to Connections.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the NYT Connections answer for Sunday, September 21?
The September 21, 2025 puzzle is Connections #833. Its groups are TOUCHSCREEN GESTURES, RELAX, RESTAURANT SEATING OPTIONS, and VEGETABLES WITH THEIR FIRST LETTER REMOVED.
What are the purple answers in Connections #833?
The purple group is ALE, EEK, HIVE, and QUASH. Adding an initial letter creates KALE, LEEK, CHIVE, and SQUASH.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
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Why does this article say September 21, 2025?
The Sunday puzzle matching this title was published on September 21, 2025. September 21, 2026 falls on a Monday, not a Sunday.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Bottom Line
Connections #833 uses touchscreen gestures, relaxation terms, restaurant seating, and vegetables disguised by a missing first letter. The key traps are TAP, which belongs with the gestures, and LOUNGE, which belongs with the relaxation group.
Quick Recap
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