Happy Sunday, Connections fans! Ready to tackle puzzle #812? Today’s grid threw some interesting curveballs, especially with those tricky heteronyms and the creative wordplay in the purple category. If you’re scratching your head over any of the groups, I’ve got you covered with hints and the complete solutions.
How to Play NYT Connections
New to Connections? Here’s the quick rundown: You get 16 words that need to be sorted into four groups of four. Each group shares a common theme, and they’re color-coded by difficulty – Yellow (easiest) to Purple (trickiest). You get four mistakes before the game ends, so choose wisely!
General Strategy for Today’s Puzzle
Before diving into the hints, here are some approaches that worked well for #812:
Look for obvious patterns first – Sometimes the most straightforward connections are hiding in plain sight
Think about word meanings AND sounds – Today’s puzzle plays with both definitions and pronunciations
Consider compound words or phrases – The purple category is particularly sneaky about this
Don’t overthink the yellow category – It’s usually more direct than you think
Connections #812 Hints (No Spoilers!)
Let me give you some gentle nudges without ruining the fun:
Yellow Category Hint 🟨
Think about what people do when they really don’t like something – especially online or in reviews. These are all ways to express harsh criticism.
Green Category Hint 🟩
Game night essentials! These are things you’d find in most classic board game boxes.
Blue Category Hint 🟦
This one’s tricky – these words all have something special about how they can be pronounced. Think about words that sound completely different depending on how you say them.
Purple Category Hint 🟣
The wordplay category strikes again! Think about what word can come after each of these to create a familiar compound word or phrase.
NYT Connections #812 Complete Answers
Ready for the full solutions? Here we go:
Yellow: CRITICIZE HARSHLY 🟨
- BASH
- BLAST
- FLAME
- ROAST
These are all ways to harshly criticize someone or something. You might BASH a terrible movie, BLAST a politician’s policies, FLAME someone online, or ROAST a comedian’s bad joke. The yellow category kept it straightforward today!
Green: COMMON COMPONENTS OF BOARD GAMES 🟩
- BOARD
- CARDS
- DICE
- PIECES
Classic board game essentials! Whether you’re playing Monopoly, Scrabble, or any other traditional game, you’ll likely encounter these fundamental components. This was probably the most obvious grouping once you spotted it.
Blue: HETERONYMS 🟦
- AXES
- BASS
- COORDINATE
- DOES
Here’s where things got interesting! These are heteronyms – words spelled the same but pronounced differently depending on their meaning. AXES (tool vs. plural of axis), BASS (fish vs. low sound), COORDINATE (to organize vs. a point in space), and DOES (female deer vs. third person singular of “do”). Sneaky!
Purple: ___STICKS 🟣
- CHOP (chopsticks)
- DRUM (drumsticks)
- FIDDLE (fiddlesticks)
- FISH (fish sticks)
The classic Connections wordplay twist! Each word can be combined with “STICKS” to make a familiar compound word or phrase. CHOPSTICKS for eating, DRUMSTICKS for percussion, FIDDLESTICKS as an exclamation, and FISH STICKS for dinner.
Breaking Down Today’s Difficulty
Yellow was refreshingly straightforward – all about harsh criticism. Once you recognized the pattern, these four words grouped themselves naturally.
Green should have been a gimme for anyone who’s ever opened a board game box. These are the universal components you expect to find.
Blue was the real brain teaser today. Heteronyms aren’t everyday vocabulary, and recognizing that pronunciation pattern required some serious word knowledge.
Purple followed the classic Connections formula of compound words. The trick was realizing that “STICKS” was the connecting element rather than looking for other relationships between the words.
Tips for Future Puzzles
Based on today’s challenge, here are some strategies to keep in mind:
Don’t ignore simple explanations – Yellow categories are usually more obvious than you think
Review basic game knowledge – Board games, sports equipment, and other everyday items often appear
Brush up on word terminology – Understanding terms like “heteronym” can be super helpful
Think compound words – Purple loves to use this trick with prefixes, suffixes, and connecting words
What Made This Puzzle Special
Connections #812 had a nice balance of straightforward and challenging categories. The heteronyms in blue were definitely the star of the show – requiring both vocabulary knowledge and an understanding of how English pronunciation works.
The purple category’s “___STICKS” theme was clever without being impossible, and the board game category felt like a friendly nod to weekend game nights.
More Daily Word Games
Conquered today’s Connections? Keep the brain training going with these other fantastic puzzles:
- Wordle: Today’s floral-themed puzzle was quite lovely! Check out our Wordle 1534 solution
- Quordle: Four times the word challenge! Get hints for today’s Quordle puzzles
Yesterday’s Comparison
Wondering how today stacked up against yesterday? Take a look at our Connections #811 solutions to see if you found today easier or more challenging!
Ready to Play?
Head over to the official NYT Connections game and test your skills! Remember, you’ve got four mistakes to work with, so don’t rush your guesses.
Connections #812 offered a satisfying mix of accessible and challenging categories. The heteronyms definitely earned their blue rating, but the payoff of solving them felt great. How did you do with today’s puzzle? Did those heteronyms trip you up, or did you spot the pattern right away?
Whether you solved it in record time or needed all four mistakes, you’ve given your brain a great workout today. See you tomorrow for another round of category-hunting fun! 🧩
