New York Times Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Today’s groups use shared meanings and wordplay based on opening and closing words.
NYT Connections #1250 Puzzle Overview: 12 November 2026
SWING SET and DOC BROWN contain words with more than one meaning. Check both ends of each entry before committing to a connection.
The sixteen words on today’s board are: GREAT SCOTT, ROCKY ROAD, YOU’RE TOAST, FLUX CAPACITOR, MOONLIGHT SONATA, JIMINY CRICKET, MARTY MCFLY, COMEDY ROAST, DOC BROWN, CHANGE PURSE, ARCTIC CHAR, GOOD HEAVENS, SHIFT DRESS, GLADIATOR SANDALS, HOLY SMOKES, SWING SET.
NYT Connections Hints: 12 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 are things someone might say after a surprise.
- Each is an old-fashioned exclamation of shock or amazement.
Step 2 · one word
GOOD HEAVENS
Step 3 · category
“GADZOOKS!”
Step 4 · all four words
GOOD HEAVENS, GREAT SCOTT, HOLY SMOKES, JIMINY CRICKET
Green group
Step 1 · two hints
- Focus on the first word of each entry.
- The opening words can describe something becoming different or moving between states.
Step 2 · one word
CHANGE PURSE
Step 3 · category
STARTING WITH VARIATIONS
Step 4 · all four words
CHANGE PURSE, FLUX CAPACITOR, SHIFT DRESS, SWING SET
Blue group
Step 1 · two hints
- Look at the final word of each entry.
- Each ending can be a verb for preparing food with heat.
Step 2 · one word
ARCTIC CHAR
Step 3 · category
ENDING IN WAYS TO COOK THINGS
Step 4 · all four words
ARCTIC CHAR, COMEDY ROAST, DOC BROWN, YOU’RE TOAST
Purple group
Step 1 · two hints
- The connection is in the opening word of each entry.
- Those opening words are film titles whose movies won the Academy’s top award.
Step 2 · one word
GLADIATOR SANDALS
Step 3 · category
STARTING WITH BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS
Step 4 · all four words
GLADIATOR SANDALS, MARTY MCFLY, MOONLIGHT SONATA, ROCKY ROAD
Less common words explained
- FLUX CAPACITOR: A fictional device that makes time travel possible.
NYT Connections Answers: 12 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)
HOLY SMOKES may suggest the blue group because “smokes” can refer to cooking food, but it belongs with the yellow exclamations of surprise. The green entries begin with words for variation: “change” in CHANGE PURSE, “flux” in FLUX CAPACITOR, “shift” in SHIFT DRESS, and “swing” in SWING SET.
The blue entries end with cooking verbs. ARCTIC CHAR ends with “char,” COMEDY ROAST with “roast,” DOC BROWN with “brown,” and YOU’RE TOAST with “toast.” Each verb describes applying heat to food.
The purple entries begin with Best Picture Oscar winners: Gladiator in GLADIATOR SANDALS, Marty in MARTY MCFLY, Moonlight in MOONLIGHT SONATA, and Rocky in ROCKY ROAD.
Yesterday’s groups for 11 November 2026
- KINDS OF MEDICINE: FOLK, HERBAL, HOLISTIC, TRADITIONAL
- PARTS OF A GOLF COURSE: GREEN, ROUGH, SAND TRAP, TEE BOX
- THINGS FILLED WITH AIR: AIR MATTRESS, BUBBLE, TIRE, WHOOPIE CUSHION
- ENDING IN PALINDROMES: AFTERNOON, PATOOT, RHEOSTATS, SHREDDER
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: 11 Nov · 10 Nov · 9 Nov · 8 Nov · 7 Nov · 6 Nov · 5 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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