November 21’s Connections wall (game #894) leans into formalwear, cocktails, Pixar movies, and a bit of wordplay around eating. If you’re trying to protect a streak or check a near-miss, the breakdown below shows the words, broad hints, and complete solutions.
Today's Connections (#894) full word list
These are the 16 tiles that appear in the NYT Connections grid for November 21, 2025:
| Today's words |
|---|
| RACECAR |
| LAPEL PIN |
| SCREWDRIVER |
| WOLF EEL |
| BOLT CUTTER |
| GREYHOUND |
| SCARF RING |
| GRUMPY OLD MAN |
| COSMOPOLITAN |
| LAVALIER |
| CLOWNFISH |
| AWARENESS RIBBON |
| TALKING DOLL |
| CHOW MEIN |
| BOUTONNIÈRE |
| SEA BREEZE |
Connections #894 high-level category hints
If you want a nudge without spoilers, each color group has a loose theme:
| Color | Difficulty | Broad hint |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Easiest | Accessories that all sit on the same part of a jacket. |
| Green | Easy–medium | Classic mixed drinks, all alcoholic. |
| Blue | Harder | Main characters from animated films by one studio (think Toy Story’s creators). |
| Purple | Trickiest | Phrases that start with a word meaning “eat,” but the full phrase is not about food. |
Below this point are the exact groupings and category names.
Yellow group: Things Worn On Lapels
The yellow group is all about items pinned or attached to the lapel of a jacket, often in formal or ceremonial settings.
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| THINGS WORN ON LAPELS | AWARENESS RIBBON, BOUTONNIÈRE, LAPEL PIN, LAVALIER |
Here, “Awareness Ribbon” covers the familiar colored ribbons for causes, a “Boutonnière” is a small floral arrangement worn at the lapel, a “Lapel Pin” is any decorative or symbolic pin placed there, and a “Lavalier” in this context refers to a clip-on microphone typically affixed to a lapel.
Green group: Cocktails
Green collects four standard mixed drinks that you’re likely to see on a bar menu.
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| COCKTAILS | COSMOPOLITAN, GREYHOUND, SCREWDRIVER, SEA BREEZE |
Each of these is a vodka-based or citrus-forward cocktail: “Cosmopolitan” (vodka, cranberry, lime, triple sec), “Greyhound” (grapefruit juice and a spirit, often vodka or gin), “Screwdriver” (vodka and orange juice), and “Sea Breeze” (vodka, cranberry, and grapefruit juice).
Blue group: Pixar Protagonists
The blue set describes lead characters from Pixar films, phrased by type rather than by proper name.
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| PIXAR PROTAGONISTS | CLOWNFISH, GRUMPY OLD MAN, RACECAR, TALKING DOLL |
These map cleanly onto signature Pixar leads: a “Clownfish” evokes Finding Nemo, a “Grumpy Old Man” points to Up, a “Racecar” recalls Cars, and a “Talking Doll” fits Toy Story.
Purple group: Starting With Synonyms for “Eat”
The purple group is a wordplay set. The first word in each phrase is a verb that can mean “eat,” but the full phrase names something else entirely.
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "EAT" | BOLT CUTTER, CHOW MEIN, SCARF RING, WOLF EEL |
“Bolt,” “chow,” “scarf,” and “wolf” can all be used as verbs for eating quickly (“bolt your food,” “chow down,” “scarf it,” “wolf it down”). In the puzzle, they front longer terms: “Bolt Cutter” (a tool), “Chow Mein” (a noodle dish), “Scarf Ring” (a clothing accessory), and “Wolf Eel” (a type of fish).
To play or check the puzzle directly, use the Connections game on the New York Times Games site at nytimes.com/games/connections.
