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.