On 17 November 2025 the NYT Connections grid offered a clever mix of synonyms, pop-culture twists and neat categories—here are hints plus the full grouped answers and quick notes below.
The NYT Connections challenge sorts 16 words into four groups of four. On 17 November 2025 the grid balanced literal groupings with a few playful pairings that could mislead at first glance. Below you’ll find carefully written hints followed by the full answers.
NYT Connections Puzzle Overview: 17 November 2025
Today’s grid paired very literal synonym clusters with two more playful sets. One group was unapologetically colloquial; another relied on recognizing words for “forbidden.” Solvers probably flew through the obvious synonyms and hesitated briefly on the phrase-start category.
NYT Connections Hints: 17 November 2025
Category 1:
- A one-word emphatic agreement often used in casual speech.
- A two-word phrase that’s a polite affirmation, starting with a short preposition.
- A playful, hyphenated colloquialism meaning “all right.”
- A two-word idiom meaning assent and certainty.
Category 2:
- Four ways to say something is not allowed.
- One is a two-word phrase beginning with “off.”
- One is a classic single-word taboo term.
- One is a German-derived word commonly used in English.
Category 3:
- Four types of scoring plays or techniques in basketball.
- One is a high-flying pass finished above the rim.
- One is a close-range shot often using the fingertips.
- One is a dramatic, crowd-pleasing finish.
Category 4:
- Each answer begins with a short command that means “go away” (in different words).
- One is a compound ending that names an eager person.
- One is a word that, when split, starts with a command then continues as a common suffix.
- One is a familiar party/game title that begins with a scatter/leave verb.
NYT Connections Answers: 17 November 2025
Here are the answers, grouped by category.
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Category 4:
Conclusion & Quick Strategy Tip
Today’s puzzle was a satisfying mix: two straightforward synonym sets and two groups that rewarded noticing phrase starts and register (sports vs. colloquial). It felt fair — not too obscure, with a neat “aha” on the last set.
Quick strategy tip: scan for obvious synonym clusters first, then look for shared prefixes/suffixes or part-of-speech patterns to crack the trickier groups.
