Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

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NYT Connections today (game #889) – today’s words

NYT Connections hints for game 889 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today’s NYT Connections words are…

PEDESTRIANBARCODETAXRAILROADZEBRAEVERYDAYSCHOOLAVENUERUGBY SHIRTAPPROACHBANALPARKINGPHILOSOPHYHUMDRUMIBM LOGOMETHODNYT Connections today (game #889) – hint #1 – group hints

What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: Performing a skillGREEN: Bland and averageBLUE: Banded stuffPURPLE: Visited in a famous board game

Need more clues?

We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #889) – hint #2 – group answers

What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: TECHNIQUEGREEN: RUN-OF-THE-MILLBLUE: STRIPY THINGSPURPLE: WORDS ON MONOPOLY SQUARES

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

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NYT Connections today (game #889) – the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 889 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today’s Connections, game #889, are…

YELLOW: TECHNIQUE APPROACH, METHOD, PHILOSOPHY, SCHOOLGREEN: RUN-OF-THE-MILL BANAL, EVERYDAY, HUMDRUM, PEDESTRIANBLUE: STRIPY THINGS BARCODE, IBM LOGO, RUGBY SHIRT, ZEBRAPURPLE: WORDS ON MONOPOLY SQUARES AVENUE, PARKING, RAILROAD, TAXMy rating: EasyMy score: Perfect

When I saw the tiles for BARCODE and ZEBRA my first thought was that we were looking for black and white things, but finding no other possibilities I abandoned that idea. 

It was realizing that BARCODE and ZEBRA had another thing in common that flipped the switch – but I still had to take a gamble with RUGBY SHIRT; although striped shirts are common, many professional rugby teams play in a single color (such as the most famous team, New Zealand, who are nicknamed the All Blacks).

Not seeing WORDS ON MONOPOLY SQUARES was annoying, as it’s one of my favorite board games. Perhaps if there was a tile for “jail” I would have got it.

Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Saturday, November 15, game #888)YELLOW: ENHANCE THE TASTE OF FLAVOR, SALT, SEASON, SPICEGREEN: PUNCTUATION MARKS COLON, DASH, PERIOD, SLASHBLUE: KINDS OF ACTORS CHARACTER, FILM, METHOD, STAGEPURPLE: ____ ZONE BUFFER, COMFORT, TIME, TWILIGHTWhat is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don’t technically need to solve the final one, as you’ll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What’s more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It’s a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It’s playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.