Puzzle fans woke up to a jaw-dropping challenge this Sunday as NYT Connections dropped its latest grid.
The November 16, 2025 puzzle — game #889 — has finally revealed its shocking categories and answers, leaving fans speechless with its clever mix of everyday words and viral themes.
Today’s puzzle spread 16 random words across a 4×4 grid, challenging players to group them into four categories.
The color-coded difficulty levels ranged from the easy Yellow to the jaw-dropping Purple, making this one of the most emotional puzzles of the week.
Hints Recap
🟨Yellow category hint – Procedure 🟩 Green category hint – Ordinary 🟦 Blue category hint – Things with stripes 🟪 Purple category hint – Monopoly terms
These heartfelt clues gave players a head start, but the shocking connections still left many scratching their heads.
Today’s Categories
Here are the official categories for November 16, 2025:
- 🟨 TECHNIQUE: Approach, Method, Philosophy, School
- 🟩 RUN-OF-THE-MILL: Banal, Everyday, Humdrum, Pedestrian
- 🟦 STRIPY THINGS: Barcode, IBM Logo, Rugby Shirt, Zebra
- 🟪 WORDS ON MONOPOLY: Avenue, Parking, Railroad, Tax
Fans called the “stripy things” category jaw-dropping, while the Monopoly terms sparked viral nostalgia.
Fan Reactions
Social media lit up with emotional responses.
One player wrote: “NYT Connections leaves me speechless — stripy things was shocking but fun.” Another added: “Finally, a puzzle that feels both easy and clever.”
Difficulty Level
Today’s puzzle was rated 2 out of 5 in difficulty.
While some fans breezed through the categories, others found the Monopoly terms to be a shocking twist that made the game more challenging.
Cultural Impact
With its viral success, NYT Connections continues to dominate daily routines, proving that word puzzles can spark emotional and cultural conversations.
The mix of heartfelt categories and jaw-dropping clues shows why the game remains one of the most beloved NYT hits alongside Wordle.
With puzzle #889 solved, NYT Connections November 16 proves once again why the viral word game leaves fans speechless — one shocking category at a time.
