The New York Times Connections
The New York Times Connections

NEW YORK — The New York Times' Connections puzzle for Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026, features a tricky wordplay category that could catch even seasoned players.

Connections game No. 1252 asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Spoilers follow, so read carefully if you want to solve it yourself.

Today's 16 words

The words in Saturday's grid are: COMPLEX, CHESS, BATTLE, ADVANCED, MARRIAGE, PROGRESSIVE, CENTER, MOTTLE, GO, FACILITY, MODERN, OTHELLO, TRIB, STRATEGO, CAMPUS and FOREMOST.

Hints for today's groups

For players who want help without the full answers:

Yellow (easiest): State of the art. Green: A collection of buildings. Blue: Contests played with pieces. Purple (hardest): Altered essentials for infants.

Today's Connections categories

Yellow: Cutting-edge Green: Locations for an institution Blue: Strategy board games Purple: Baby gear with first letter changed

Today's Connections answers

Yellow — Cutting-edge: ADVANCED, FOREMOST, MODERN, PROGRESSIVE Green — Locations for an institution: CAMPUS, CENTER, COMPLEX, FACILITY Blue — Strategy board games: CHESS, GO, OTHELLO, STRATEGO Purple — Baby gear with first letter changed: BATTLE, MARRIAGE, MOTTLE, TRIB

How the purple group works

The purple category is the most unusual. Change the first letter of each word to find an item of baby equipment:

BATTLE becomes RATTLE MARRIAGE becomes CARRIAGE MOTTLE becomes BOTTLE TRIB becomes CRIB

Where players may trip up

Several words have more than one meaning, which can lead players into wrong groups.

ADVANCED, CENTER and GO are the most likely red herrings. ADVANCED could seem to fit a games category, since players advance pieces in board games. GO is both a board game and a common verb. CENTER can describe a location, but also a position on a board.

PROGRESSIVE and MODERN can also look like political or cultural terms rather than synonyms for cutting-edge.

The odd-looking words BATTLE, MARRIAGE, MOTTLE and TRIB are the biggest clue that wordplay is involved. TRIB in particular is not a common standalone word, which suggests it belongs in the purple group.

Tips for solving Connections

Look for the oddballs first. Unusual words such as TRIB often point to the trickiest group. Identify the obvious set but hold back. The board games may jump out quickly, but check whether any of them also fit another category before submitting. Think about wordplay. Purple groups often involve hidden words, letter changes or words that pair with another term. Use your four mistakes wisely. The game ends after four wrong guesses, so it pays to be sure before locking in a group.

About Connections

Connections launched in 2023 and quickly became one of The New York Times' most popular games, alongside Wordle, Strands and the Mini Crossword. Each puzzle has only one correct solution, with categories ranked by difficulty from yellow to purple.

A new Connections puzzle is released at midnight local time.