Issue #853 Sun 31 Aug
Connections hints — August 31, 2025
A steady morning of sorting through linguistic quirks and common objects. The grid requires a patient eye for how words shift in meaning and usage.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
A Twitter thread taking a turn for the worse, or the quiet malice of a professional review.
Interpersonal communication
Synonyms
Members are 4–5 letters; first letters B, F, R.
CRITICIZE HARSHLY
One is BASH.
BASH · BLAST · FLAME · ROAST
green group 7 nudges
Green group
Where the lawnmower lives, where the mail piles up, where the kids hide.
Tabletop gaming
Direct associations
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters B, C, D, P.
COMMON COMPONENTS OF BOARD GAMES
One is BOARD.
BOARD · CARDS · DICE · PIECES
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
You take the same route home and a single door is open that's never open.
Linguistics
Orthographic ambiguity
Members are 4–10 letters; first letters A, B, C, D.
HETERONYMS
One is AXES.
AXES · BASS · COORDINATE · DOES
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
Whatever you set the night before is what gets you up — for better or worse.
Compound words
Suffix completion
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters C, D, F.
___STICKS
One is CHOP.
CHOP · DRUM · FIDDLE · FISH