NYT Connections Answer — August 20, 2025
Puzzle #801 · 16 words, 4 groups
Here is the full solution to the NYT Connections puzzle for Wednesday, August 20, 2025 (#801). The 16-word board is below, followed by all four groups — in difficulty order from yellow (easiest) to purple (trickiest). Answers stay hidden until you tap Reveal, so you can peek at the board first.
Today's board
CANDY CANE
CAROUSEL
CEILING FAN
CROOK
ZEBRA
KNITTING NEEDLES
CROCHET HOOK
BARBER POLE
YIN-YANG SYMBOL
CROWBAR
PIANO KEYS
CHOPSTICKS
CLAVES
DOMINO
SKI POLES
LAZY SUSAN
The four groups
Yellow · StraightforwardBLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS
DOMINO, PIANO KEYS, YIN-YANG SYMBOL, ZEBRA
Green · ModeratePAIRS OF RODS
CHOPSTICKS, CLAVES, KNITTING NEEDLES, SKI POLES
Blue · TrickyTHINGS THAT ROTATE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS
BARBER POLE, CAROUSEL, CEILING FAN, LAZY SUSAN
Purple · TrickiestRODS THAT CURVE AT ONE END
CANDY CANE, CROCHET HOOK, CROOK, CROWBAR
No spoilers — tap to show the answers
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How Connections works
NYT Connections gives you a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to sort them into four groups of four, where each group shares a hidden connection. The groups are colour-coded by difficulty: yellow is the most straightforward, then green and blue, and purple is usually the trickiest — often a wordplay or category twist. You get four mistakes before the game ends, and words that could fit more than one group are the classic traps.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are today's Connections answers?
Tap Reveal the 4 groups above to see all four categories and their words for #801, in difficulty order from yellow to purple.
What do the colours mean?
Yellow is the easiest group, followed by green and blue, and purple is the hardest — usually the one with a twist or wordplay.
When does the next Connections come out?
A new NYT Connections puzzle is released every day. We publish the verified answers each morning.
Where do I play Connections?
Play free at nytimes.com/games/connections or in the NYT Games app. This is an independent reference site, not affiliated with The New York Times.