If today’s New York Times Connections grid has you feeling stuck, you are not alone. Puzzle #1254 features some interesting word associations, including words that complete a phrase about the warmest season, words that go with spring, words that pair with winter, and words that follow fall. Here is everything you need to know.
Here are helpful hints to guide you through today’s puzzle, with the full answers listed further down.
Today’s Connections Strategy and Commentary
Today’s puzzle follows a simple and fun pattern. Every group works the same way: you add the word to the end of a season name to make a common phrase. The Yellow group is all about familiar things you might hear during the summer months. They are common expressions that most people will recognize right away.
The Green set shifts to spring. These are all well known phrases that go hand in hand with that season of renewal. The Blue group moves to winter. Some of these are holiday favorites while others describe things you do or see when it gets cold. The Purple category wraps up with fall. Each one paints a nice picture of what happens when the leaves change and the air cools down. It is a cozy theme overall.
Connections Hints Today: Category Clues
If you just need a gentle nudge, here are the clues for each color group:
- 🟨 Yellow Group Hint: Words that come after Summer to make a common phrase.
- 🟩 Green Group Hint: Words that follow Spring to form a familiar expression.
- 🟦 Blue Group Hint: Words that complete the phrase Winter ___.
- 🟪 Purple Group Hint: Words that go with Fall to make a well known saying.
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: The full answers are below. Stop scrolling now if you want to solve it yourself first.
NYT Connections Answers Today for November 16, 2026 (Puzzle #1254)
🟨 Yellow Category: SUMMER ___
- BLOCKBUSTER
- CAMP
- SAUSAGE
- SCHOOL
🟩 Green Category: SPRING ___
- CHICKEN
- CLEANING
- ONION
- WATER
🟦 Blue Category: WINTER ___
- GARDEN
- GLOVES
- MELON
- WONDERLAND
🟪 Purple Category: FALL ___
- ASLEEP
- FOLIAGE
- GUY
- IN LOVE
Yesterday’s Answer
This is the NYT Connections answer for November 15, 2026 (Puzzle #1253).
🟨 Yellow Category: UNMATCHED. (All-Time, Historic, Record, Unprecedented)
🟩 Green Category: WEDDING WEBSITE SECTIONS. (Dress Code, Registry, RSVP, Travel)
🟦 Blue Category: ___ PLANE. (Astral, Cartesian, Inclined, Jet)
🟪 Purple Category: ENDING IN VEGETABLES IN THE ALLIUM FAMILY. (Archive, Octonion, Rapscallion, Sleek)
For older solutions, see our Connections answers archive.
More New York Times Games
We also provide solutions for other New York Times games, including Wordle and NYT Strands. You can visit our complete list of Wordle answers for November and check out today’s NYT Strands hints and answers.
How Did You Do Today
Which season group felt the easiest for you? Summer and Winter seemed most obvious for many players but that Fall group might have taken an extra second to click. Share your experience in the comments below.
A new puzzle becomes available every midnight based on your local time zone. It appears at different times around the world, including United States UTC-4 to UTC-8, Philippine Standard Time UTC+8, Australia UTC+8 to UTC+11, and New Zealand UTC+12 or UTC+13.
Check back tomorrow for more Connections hints, strategy tips, and the next answer.
