Today’s NYT Connections puzzle arrives as game #813, offering a fresh set of words to group and a spoiler-filled breakdown for those who want the solution. If you’re catching up on Sunday’s puzzle, you can check yesterday’s layout below.
Today’s NYT Connections words (game #813)
– PRESIDENT
– MOTHER
– BISHOP
– BIRD
– CLERGY MEMBER
– PREMIERE
– M.L.B. PLAYER
– POPE
– SAINT
– VALENTINE
– INTRODUCTION
– N.F.L. PLAYER
– LORDE
– LAUNCH
– BURNS
– SAINT PATRICK
– DEBUT
Today’s group hints
– YELLOW: When it begins
– GREEN: National day
– BLUE: Wordsmiths
– PURPLE: Linked by a word associated with red
Today’s Solutions (the four groups)
– YELLOW: FIRST APPEARANCE — DEBUT, INTRODUCTION, LAUNCH, PREMIERE
– GREEN: ONES CELEBRATED WITH HOLIDAYS — MOTHER, PRESIDENT, SAINT PATRICK, SAINT VALENTINE
– BLUE: FAMOUS POETS — BISHOP, BURNS, LORDE, POPE
– PURPLE: WHAT “CARDINAL” MIGHT REFER TO — BIRD, CLERGY MEMBER, M.L.B. PLAYER, N.F.L. PLAYER
Takeaways from today
– The yellow group hinges on synonyms for “beginning” or the first showing of something, with the four terms capturing different ways products or events announce themselves.
– The green group uses a broader interpretation of “national/celebrated holidays,” including saints who are widely commemorated as part of holiday traditions.
– The blue group correctly clusters well-known poets under the label “wordsmiths,” including poets across eras and styles.
– The purple group leverages multiple meanings of “cardinal” and how it can refer to a bird, a clergy title, or sports teams and players, tying the four items together as things associated with that word.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (game #812)
– YELLOW: CRITICIZE HARSHLY — BASH, BLAST, FLAME, ROAST
– GREEN: COMMON COMPONENTS OF BOARD GAMES — BOARD, CARDS, DICE, PIECES
– BLUE: HETERONYMS — AXES, BASS, COORDINATE, DOES
– PURPLE: ___STICKS — CHOP, DRUM, FIDDLE, FISH (the common ending is STICKS)
A quick note on the purple yesterday group: the intended theme is the ending STICKS that pairs with each of the provided prefixes (CHOP, DRUM, FIDDLE, FISH) to form common terms like chopsticks, drumsticks, fiddlesticks, and fishsticks.
Summary
– Today’s puzzle centers on four clear themes: beginnings, holidays, poets, and cardinal-associated meanings. The four groups line up cleanly with the supplied words, though, as with many NYT Connections puzzles, the challenge lies in recognizing the connections rather than identifying one obvious link.
Final thoughts and outlook
– NYT Connections continues to blend vocabulary, culture, and wordplay in a way that rewards both broad knowledge and careful pattern spotting. If you enjoyed today’s challenge, you’ll likely find similar satisfaction in tomorrow’s puzzle as well.
Optional positive note
– Whether you solve everything on the first pass or need some hints, the joy of Connections comes from the “aha” moment when the pieces finally click. There’s a satisfying balance between familiar terms and clever groupings that keeps the brain engaged.
If you’d like, I can also create a spoiler-free quick guide to improve your solving chances by focusing on common Connection patterns used in NYT Connections puzzles.