Daily New York Times puzzles solutions and hints for Thursday, July 31, (puzzle #781)
NYT Connections Puzzle Goes Ordinal for a Special Challenge
The New York Times' popular Connections game took a unique turn on July 31, 2025, with a special format that deviated from the usual themed games. This experimental puzzle, identified as game #781, introduced a new twist by basing the word groups on ordinal themes: First, Second, Third, and Last.
In contrast to regular games, where word groups are often directly linked by shared meanings or categories, this special edition presented phrases with ordinal prefixes. For instance, the group "FIRST AID" is a testament to this innovative approach.
The game also introduced a more lenient mistake policy, allowing up to four mistakes, and the puzzle order was experimental, adding to the challenge. Regular games typically have stricter mistake limits and standard puzzle orders.
The ordinal theme-based groups in game #781 made for a more intricate wordplay, involving homophones and wordplay related to sequence. This was a departure from the usual straightforward category logic in regular Connections games.
Distinctive Features of Game #781
| Aspect | Game #781 (July 31, 2025) | Regular Games | |--------|----------------------------|----------------| | Group themes | Based on ordinal adjectives: First, Second, Third, Last (e.g., FIRST AID) | Often based on direct word categories or shared meanings (e.g., Ale Styles, French things) | | Category style | Word groups form phrases with ordinal prefixes | Word groups share intrinsic category characteristics | | Gameplay mechanics | Allows up to 4 mistakes; puzzle order experimental | Usually stricter mistake limits and standard puzzle order | | Trickiness | More involved with homophones and wordplay related to sequence | Usually straightforward category logic |
Clues for Today's Puzzle
- The final position in one of the groups is purple.
- The second position in one of the groups is green.
- The second position in another group is yellow.
- The third position in one of the groups is blue.
Spoiler Territory
Today's puzzle features four theme answers and consists of 16 words: ROCK, STRAW, EYE, NATURE, NATIONS, FIDDLE, GUESS, LAUGH, COMING, PARTY, RESORT, RESPONDER, LADY, SUPPER, RAIL, AID.
For those interested in other word games, daily hints and answers for Strands and Quordle are available, and Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
The previous day's Connections puzzle, game #780, can be found here. Keep solving and enjoy the challenge!
- In an unusual twist for The New York Times' Connections game, game #781 on July 31, 2025, incorporated theme words with ordinal adjectives such as gaming, like FIRST AID.
- This special puzzle, with its ordinal-themed word groups, also ventured into the realm of entertainment and social-media, introducing intricate wordplay centered around homophones and sequence.
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