Working through today’s Connections? Here are clean hints and the full solutions for puzzle #833 (September 21, 2025). If you still need to play, the daily grid is available on the New York Times Games page at nytimes.com/games/connections.

Quick context: testers rated today’s difficulty 2 out of 5, and the usual color order applies — yellow is easiest, then green, blue, and purple.

Low‑spoiler category nudges

  • Yellow: Touchscreen actions
  • Green: Lazy‑day ways to take it easy
  • Blue: Where you sit when you eat out
  • Purple: Vegetables with their first letter chopped off

One‑word confirmations that showed up as official hints today: “TAP” (yellow), “LOAF” (green), “BOOTH” (blue), and “EEK” (purple).

Full categories and answers

  • Yellow — Touchscreen gestures: Pinch, Scroll, Swipe, Tap
  • Green — Relax: Chill, Loaf, Lounge, Veg
  • Blue — Restaurant seating options: Bar, Booth, Counter, Table
  • Purple — Vegetables with first letter removed: Ale, Eek, Hive, Quash

Why the purple group works

This set plays on vegetables that become new words when you drop the first letter:

  • Ale ← Kale
  • Eek ← Leek
  • Hive ← Chive
  • Quash ← Squash

It’s a classic purple trick: a letter‑level transformation, not a shared meaning across the final words.

Need the grid?

If you want to take a shot before looking at solutions, or track your stats and streaks, open the puzzle at nytimes.com/games/connections.