On 21 November 2025 the NYT Connections grid mixed pop-culture, drink names, wearable accessories and wordplay-based starters—four neat groups to spot. Below are hints and the full grouped answers now.
The NYT Connections puzzle drops 16 words that fit into four neat groups of four. On 21 November 2025 the set blended cocktails, costume/accessory items, Pixar-themed protagonists and a clever “starts with a synonym for ‘eat’” group. Below you’ll find carefully written hints followed by the full grouped answers.
NYT Connections Puzzle Overview: 21 November 2025
Today’s grid felt playful and balanced: two groups leaned on pop-culture and cocktails, one on clothing/accessory terminology, and one on a sly linguistic trick where the first word echoes a verb meaning “to eat.” Solvers who spotted the starter-words early gained a big advantage.
NYT Connections Hints: 21 November 2025
Category 1:
- Think small decorative items people attach to jacket lapels.
- One is often given to signal support for a cause.
- Another is a floral decoration worn at formal events.
- One is a small badge or ornamental fastener; one is a microphone jewelry term.
Category 2:
- These are all mixed-drink names you might order at a bar.
- One features vodka and cranberry; another pairs vodka with orange juice.
- One commonly includes grapefruit juice and can be salted on the rim.
- A breezy, fruit-forward name evokes the ocean.
Category 3:
- All four clues point to protagonists from Pixar films.
- One is a fish who’s actually a comic and brave hero.
- One is an elderly, grumpy man with a house and balloons.
- One is a red vehicle who races; another is a talking toy/doll character.
Category 4:
- Here each entry begins with a verb that can mean “to eat” or “to gobble.”
- The first words include bolt, chow, scarf and wolf in metaphorical senses.
- The rest of each phrase names an object, food, ring, or creature.
- Think about the starter word separately from the full phrase.
NYT Connections Answers: 21 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 satisfying — a tidy mix of pop-culture recognition, barroom vocabulary and a clever wordplay category that rewarded splitting compound phrases into starter + noun. Solvers who tested likely starter-words early cleared a lot of ambiguity.
Quick strategy tip: when a set seems disparate, check whether the first word in several entries can stand alone as a verb or adjective — that split often reveals a grouping fast.
