NYT Connections Answer Today (#834) β 22 Sep 2025 Solution & Hints
Stuck on todayβs Connections? Below youβll find an explanation of the puzzle, quick definitions for every word, gentle hints, the exact category titles, a single βnudgeβ word from each group, and (hidden) the complete solution.
Use the table of contents to jump to what you need.
Jump to:
- What is NYT Connections?
- The 16 Words
- Definitions of the 16 Words
- General Hints
- Category Titles
- One Word per Category
- Complete Solution
- Difficulty Today
- Tricky or Misleading Words
- Strategy Tips
- Join the Discussion
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word grouping puzzle from The New York Times.
Your goal is to sort 16 words into 4 groups of 4, based on hidden connections.
Categories range from simple themes to clever wordplay, with some words acting as red herrings.
The 16 Words
Here are the 16 words, sorted alphabetically to avoid spoilers:
- Area
- Aria
- Ars
- Ayes
- Crossword
- Domino
- Ease
- Encore
- Excalibur
- Length
- Luxor
- Oreo
- Orca
- Owes
- Perimeter
- Volume
Definitions of the 16 Words
| Area | Measurement of surface size in geometry. |
| Aria | Solo vocal piece in opera; also a Las Vegas hotel. |
| Ars | Sounds like βRβs,β plural of the letter R. |
| Ayes | Votes of agreement; sounds like βIβs.β |
| Crossword | Popular black-and-white word puzzle grid. |
| Domino | Game piece with black-and-white dots. |
| Ease | Comfort or lack of difficulty; sounds like βEβs.β |
| Encore | Additional performance requested by audience; also a Vegas hotel. |
| Excalibur | Casino and hotel in Las Vegas, named after King Arthurβs sword. |
| Length | Measurement of distance in geometry. |
| Luxor | Famous pyramid-shaped Las Vegas casino hotel. |
| Oreo | Black-and-white sandwich cookie. |
| Orca | Killer whale, black-and-white marine animal. |
| Owes | To be in debt; sounds like βOβs.β |
| Perimeter | Total distance around a shape in geometry. |
| Volume | Measurement of 3D space in geometry. |
General Hints
- One group is about basic geometric measures.
- Another features famous Las Vegas hotels.
- Thereβs a set of black-and-white things.
- The last one uses wordplay with plural-sounding letters.
Category Titles
- π¨ Yellow: Basic Geometric Calculations
- π© Green: Black-and-White Things
- π¦ Blue: Las Vegas Casino Hotels
- πͺ Purple: Words that Sound Like Plural Letters
One Word per Category
- π¨ Yellow: Volume
- π© Green: Oreo
- π¦ Blue: Luxor
- πͺ Purple: Ayes
Complete Solution
- π¨ Yellow: Basic Geometric Calculations β AREA, LENGTH, PERIMETER, VOLUME
- π© Green: Black-and-White Things β CROSSWORD, DOMINO, ORCA, OREO
- π¦ Blue: Las Vegas Casino Hotels β ARIA, ENCORE, EXCALIBUR, LUXOR
- πͺ Purple: Words that Sound Like Plural Letters β ARS, AYES, EASE, OWES
The purple group was the trickiest today β phonetics always trip people up!
Difficulty Today
This puzzle felt challenging. The Vegas hotels were straightforward, but the βplural lettersβ group required careful sound-based thinking.
Tricky or Misleading Words
- Ayes β could easily be confused with βyes votesβ rather than the sound βIβs.β
- Ease β looks like a normal word, but its placement depended on phonetics.
- Aria β might suggest opera before Las Vegas.
Strategy Tips
When words donβt seem to fit categories logically, read them aloud β phonetic tricks are common in Connections puzzles.
Join the Discussion
Did the βplural lettersβ group stump you, or did you catch it quickly? Share your approach in the comments below!
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