#804

NYT Connections Hints & Answers - #804 (Aug 23, 2025)

Your second brain to mastering the NYT Connections puzzle with progressive hints, expert strategies, and complete solutions. Learn to solve like a pro.

Explanations & Common Pitfalls
Progressive Hint System
Expert Strategies Included

🕒

You Are Browsing Past Connections Puzzle

SMARTWATCH
BOWL
OIL
CHICANERY
COOLANT
PODCAST
HIPPODROME
VAPE
LEGERDEMAIN
CRYPTO
DECEIT
FUEL
COLISEUM
SUBTERFUGE
BRAKE FLUID
STADIUM
Connections Credit: New York Times

Progressive Hints for Connections #804 (August 23, 2025)

Get the level of help you need. Start with gentle nudges and reveal stronger hints as needed. Learn to solve puzzles, don't just get answers.

🟡 Yellow Group
Easy
Main Hint: BRAKE FLUID
💡Gentle Hint
Think about liquids that are essential for a car to run and stop safely.

Show Stronger Hint

These are all different types of fluids that you need to put into a car for it to work properly, from making it go to making it stop.

Show Direct Guidance

All of these words mean the same thing as 'outcome' or 'what you get from something'.
🟢 Green Group
Medium
Main Hint: BOWL
💡Gentle Hint
Think about big places where many people gather to watch sports or shows.

Show Stronger Hint

These are all large, open-air or covered structures designed for public events, often with seating arranged around a central performance area.

Show Direct Guidance

All of these words can come before the word 'joke' to describe different kinds of humor.
🔵 Blue Group
Hard
Main Hint: DECEIT
💡Gentle Hint
Think about tricky or dishonest actions people use to get what they want.

Show Stronger Hint

These words all describe clever but often dishonest methods used to trick or mislead someone, usually to gain an advantage.

Show Direct Guidance

All of these are movies that mix love stories with ghosts, vampires, or other magical creatures.
🟣 Purple Group
Tricky
Main Hint: CRYPTO
💡Gentle Hint
Think about new technologies or trends that have become popular in recent years.

Show Stronger Hint

These are all relatively new creations or concepts that have emerged and gained widespread use in the 21st century.

Show Direct Guidance

All of these things are made from corn or have corn as their main ingredient.

Complete Answers & Explanations

Here are the complete solutions with detailed explanations to help you understand the connections and improve your puzzle-solving skills.

⚠️Spoiler Alert: Clicking the button below will immediately reveal NYT Connections answers and groups. Only proceed if you've finished solving with the hints above.

👉 Click To Reveal Answers For #804

🟡 Yellow Group
LIQUIDS YOU PUT INTO CARS
BRAKE FLUID
COOLANT
FUEL
OIL
💡Explanation
These words all describe different types of liquids that are put into cars to help them run. Brake fluid helps your car stop, coolant keeps the engine from getting too hot, fuel (like gasoline) makes the car go, and oil lubricates the engine parts.
❗Common Pitfalls

People might get confused because some of these words, like 'fuel' or 'oil', can be used in other contexts, not just for cars. For example, 'oil' can be cooking oil, or 'fuel' can be for a fire. It's easy to forget the car connection if you're not thinking about vehicles. Also, some might think of car parts instead of the liquids that go inside them.

🧠 Strategic Insight

When you see words that seem to be about different things, try to find a common theme or category. In this case, thinking about what a car needs to function helps connect these words. Look for words that are all 'consumables' or 'fluids' related to a specific machine. If you can imagine pouring something into a car, it's likely one of these.

🟢 Green Group
ARENA
BOWL
COLISEUM
HIPPODROME
STADIUM
💡Explanation
These words all describe large structures or venues where events like sports games, concerts, or other public spectacles take place. A bowl is often used to refer to a stadium, especially one shaped like a bowl. A coliseum is an ancient Roman amphitheater, and a hippodrome was an ancient Greek stadium for horse and chariot racing. A stadium is a modern large outdoor arena.
❗Common Pitfalls

Some might get confused because words like 'bowl' have many other meanings (like a kitchen bowl or a bowling bowl). 'Coliseum' and 'Hippodrome' might sound like old, historical terms that don't fit with modern 'stadiums'. It's easy to miss the connection if you're not thinking about large public gathering places for entertainment.

🧠 Strategic Insight

Look for words that describe places where many people can sit and watch something. Even if the words are old or have other meanings, try to find the common function they share. Think about where big events happen, like the Super Bowl or a concert. If you can imagine a crowd cheering in all these places, you're on the right track.

🔵 Blue Group
SKULDUGGERY
CHICANERY
DECEIT
LEGERDEMAIN
SUBTERFUGE
💡Explanation
These words all describe different ways of being tricky or dishonest. Chicanery means using clever but misleading talk or actions. Deceit is the act of tricking someone by not telling the truth. Legerdemain often refers to skillful tricks, especially with hands, but can also mean trickery or deception. Subterfuge is using trickery or deception to achieve a goal.
❗Common Pitfalls

These words are not commonly used in everyday conversation, so their meanings might be unfamiliar. Some might confuse them with simple mistakes or misunderstandings rather than intentional trickery. The words sound complex, which can make it harder to see their shared meaning of deception.

🧠 Strategic Insight

When you see words that sound a bit formal or old-fashioned, try to think about their core meaning. All these words are about being sneaky or dishonest. If you can imagine someone trying to fool another person, these words fit. Look for words that describe actions that are not straightforward or honest.

🟣 Purple Group
MODERN INVENTIONS
CRYPTO
PODCAST
SMARTWATCH
VAPE
💡Explanation
These words all represent inventions or technologies that have become prominent in modern times. Crypto refers to cryptocurrency, a digital form of money. A podcast is an audio program available online. A smartwatch is a wearable computer on your wrist. Vaping involves using an electronic cigarette.
❗Common Pitfalls

Some might struggle because these terms are quite new, and their exact definitions or common uses might not be clear to everyone, especially younger audiences. They also represent very different areas of technology (finance, media, wearables, personal habits), making it hard to see a common thread beyond their newness. Some might not even consider 'vape' an 'invention' in the same way as the others.

🧠 Strategic Insight

When you see a mix of words that seem very current or trendy, consider if they are all recent innovations. Think about what has been invented or become popular in the last 10-20 years. If you can imagine explaining these things to someone from 50 years ago, and they would be completely new concepts, then they likely fit into a 'modern inventions' category.

How to Play NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is a fun word puzzle where you find hidden patterns between words. Here's how to play in simple steps:

Step 1: Look at the 16 words

You'll see a grid with 16 words. These can be anything - objects, actions, concepts, or even names. Example below:
How to play nyt connections example

Step 2: Find groups of 4 words that share a connection

Look for words that belong together. The connection could be:
- Same category (like types of fruit)
- Common theme (like things related to space)
- Wordplay (like phrases that include "cold")
In our example, you might group:
🟨 FRUITS: APPLE, BANANA, ORANGE, GRAPE
🟩 VEGETABLES: CARROT, POTATO, TOMATO, LETTUCE
🟦 FLOWERS: ROSE, TULIP, DAISY, LILY
🟪 PETS: DOG, CAT, BIRD, FISH

Step 3: Select your group and submit

Click or tap on 4 words that you think belong together, then submit your guess. If correct, the words will be removed from the grid and grouped by color. If wrong, you'll get one strike.

Step 4: Find all 4 groups to win!

You have 4 strikes before the game ends. The groups have different difficulty levels:
🟨 Yellow (easiest)
🟩 Green (medium)
🟦 Blue (hard)
🟪 Purple (hardest)
Pro Tip: Some connections are tricky! Words might have multiple meanings. For example, "BATTERY" could be part of a group about electronics or about baseball. Think about different ways words can be connected!

Expert Solving Strategies

Learn how to improve your future NYT Connections solving skills

Start with Yellow


The yellow group is usually the most straightforward. Solve it first to build confidence.

Watch for Bait Words


Some words might fit multiple categories. Look for the most specific connection to crack a group.

Use the 3+1 Method


If you're confident about 3 words in a group, the 4th is likely correct too. Tested countless times.

The History of NYT Connections

NYT Connections is one of the newest additions to The New York Times' puzzle collection. Here's how it came to be:

June 12, 2023

Official Launch - NYT Connections was released to the public as the newest puzzle from The New York Times.

Creator: Wyna Liu

The Puzzle Mastermind - The game was created by Wyna Liu, a puzzle editor at The New York Times who specializes in crafting engaging word challenges.

Post-Wordle Era

Expanding the Puzzle Universe - Following the massive success of Wordle (acquired by NYT in 2022), Connections was part of The Times' strategy to offer more diverse daily puzzles.

Unique Niche

Filling a Gap - Unlike Wordle (single word guessing) or Crossword (broad knowledge), Connections specifically tests pattern recognition and word association skills.

Growing Popularity

Cult Following - The game quickly developed a dedicated fanbase who love its balance of accessibility and challenge, plus those satisfying "aha!" moments when discovering connections.

Ongoing Evolution

Constant Innovation - Liu and her team continue to refine the puzzle, introducing new types of connections and adjusting difficulty to keep the game fresh and engaging.

⚠️Hintsfor.today is an independent website and is not affiliated with The New York Times Company. Connections® is a registered trademark of The New York Times Company. All game materials and content are the property of The New York Times and are used for informational and educational purposes under the principles of fair use.

FAQ

How do NYT Connections hints work?

Our NYT Connections hints guide you toward the answer without giving it away. We provide clues for each color group, starting with a general category hint and then offering more specific suggestions, allowing you to solve the puzzle with just the right amount of help.

What makes your hints spoiler-free?

Our hints are designed to be spoiler-free by revealing information in stages. You only see the clues you choose to, ensuring the final answers remain hidden until you're ready to solve the group yourself or decide to see the solution.

When are daily hints updated?

The hints for NYT Connections, are updated every day shortly after the new connection is released, more presicely at 12 Midnight ( GMT-4). You can count on fresh, timely clues each morning to help you solve the latest challenge.

Who writes the tips on Hints for Today?

Our tips and hints are crafted by a team of puzzle enthusiasts and life-hack experts. We are passionate about problem-solving and dedicated to providing clear, effective, and trustworthy advice every day.
© 2025 Hints For Today. All rights reserved. Not affiliated with The New York Times.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram