New York Times Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Today’s groups link words by what they describe, what they contain, and how they end.
NYT Connections #1249 Puzzle Overview: 11 November 2026
FOLK, GREEN, and TIRE each have more than one meaning. Check that a possible connection fits all four words before committing.
The sixteen words on today’s board are: SHREDDER, HERBAL, PATOOT, WHOOPIE CUSHION, GREEN, FOLK, BUBBLE, ROUGH, AFTERNOON, RHEOSTATS, TRADITIONAL, TIRE, SAND TRAP, HOLISTIC, AIR MATTRESS, TEE BOX.
NYT Connections Hints: 11 November 2026
Each of the four color groups below opens in four steps: hints, one word, the category name, then all four words. Stop at the step that gives enough help.
Yellow group
Step 1 · two hints
- These describe approaches to treating illness.
- Some emphasize plants, inherited practices, or the whole person.
Step 2 · one word
HERBAL
Step 3 · category
KINDS OF MEDICINE
Step 4 · all four words
FOLK, HERBAL, HOLISTIC, TRADITIONAL
Green group
Step 1 · two hints
- These are areas used in a sport.
- Think about where golfers take their shots and where those shots land.
Step 2 · one word
ROUGH
Step 3 · category
PARTS OF A GOLF COURSE
Step 4 · all four words
GREEN, ROUGH, SAND TRAP, TEE BOX
Blue group
Step 1 · two hints
- These contain something invisible.
- Gas gives each its volume or shape.
Step 2 · one word
AIR MATTRESS
Step 3 · category
THINGS FILLED WITH AIR
Step 4 · all four words
AIR MATTRESS, BUBBLE, TIRE, WHOOPIE CUSHION
Purple group
Step 1 · two hints
- Look for a spelling pattern at the ends.
- Each ends with a sequence that reads the same forward and backward.
Step 2 · one word
AFTERNOON
Step 3 · category
ENDING IN PALINDROMES
Step 4 · all four words
AFTERNOON, PATOOT, RHEOSTATS, SHREDDER
Less common words explained
- PATOOT: It is an informal word for a person’s buttocks.
- RHEOSTATS: These are devices that adjust electrical resistance to control current.
NYT Connections Answers: 11 November 2026
Step 4 of each group above holds its answer. The full solved grid and notes on today’s tricky words are folded below.
Full solved grid
Tricky words (spoilers)
GREEN can name a color, but here it means a putting area and belongs with ROUGH, SAND TRAP, and TEE BOX. TIRE can mean to grow weary, but here it means the covering around a wheel that holds air.
The purple words end in palindromes: AFTERNOON ends in NOON, PATOOT in TOOT, RHEOSTATS in STATS, and SHREDDER in REDDER. Each ending reads the same forward and backward.
Yesterday’s groups for 10 November 2026
- HUBBUB: BROUHAHA, FOOFARAW, HULLABALOO, KERFUFFLE
- LITERARY DEVICES: HYPERBOLE, METONYMY, ONOMATOPOEIA, OXYMORON
- OLD-TIMEY OCCUPATIONS: APOTHECARY, HABERDASHER, SCRIVENER, WAINWRIGHT
- WORDS WITH FIVE OF ONE VOWEL: ABRACADABRA, BEEKEEPER, INVISIBILITY, PROTOZOOLOGY
More Connections: Yesterday’s puzzle · Play Connections on The New York Times
Also today: Wordle · Strands · Pips · Phrazle · Quordle · Keyword · Colordle · Unwordle · Hurdle · NYT Crossword · NYT Mini · NYT Midi · Jumble · Spelling Bee · Letter Boxed · Parseword · Poeltl
Earlier days: 10 Nov · 9 Nov · 8 Nov · 7 Nov · 6 Nov · 5 Nov · 4 Nov
Questions about Connections
When does Connections change to a new puzzle?
A new puzzle arrives at midnight in the player’s own time zone.
How many tries does a player get in Connections?
The game ends after four mistakes.
Where can a person play Connections?
Play on The New York Times Games site or in the NYT Games app: Connections.
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