Waking up to a grid of sixteen words can feel like a personal attack before you’ve even finished your coffee. We’ve all been there. You stare at the screen, and for the first minute, absolutely nothing makes sense. The NYT Connections for November 9 is one of those days where the editor, Wyna Liu, seems to be having a bit of fun at our expense. If you're looking for the Connections Nov 9 Forbes style breakdown to save your winning streak, you've come to the right place.
It's a game of patterns. Sometimes the patterns are obvious, like types of fruit or breeds of dogs. Other times, they are deviously linguistic. You might see a word that fits in three different categories, and that’s exactly where the trap lies. The November 9 puzzle is particularly heavy on "red herrings"—words that look like they belong together but are actually destined for completely different groups.
Why Today's Connections Is Tricky
Let’s be real. The difficulty in Connections isn't usually the vocabulary itself. It’s the overlap. On November 9, you might notice a few words that seem to relate to the physical body or perhaps some slang terms that haven't been popular since the 90s.
The "Yellow" category is usually the most straightforward, but even that can be a bit of a head-scratcher if you overthink it. Most players fail because they find four words that could work and hit "Submit" without checking if those words are actually needed elsewhere. It’s a game of elimination as much as it is a game of discovery. If you see "Bust" and "Boom," your brain immediately goes to economics. But wait. Does "Bust" also belong with "Statue" or "Sculpture"? This is the mental gymnastics required for the Connections Nov 9 puzzle.
Breaking Down the November 9 Categories
If you're stuck, I’m not going to just give it all away immediately. That spoils the fun. But I will tell you that you should look closely at words that describe "failure" or "disappointment."
There is a specific group today that deals with things that just didn't work out. Think about slang. If a movie does poorly at the box office, what do we call it? If a business venture goes south, what's the term?
The Word List for Nov 9
The grid includes words like:
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- FLOP
- BOMB
- DUD
- WASH
These four make up a solid set. They all represent something that failed to live up to expectations. It's a classic Connections move—using short, punchy words that have multiple meanings. "Wash," for instance, could easily be part of a laundry category, but in this context, it's about a total loss or a non-event.
That Sneaky Second Group
Then we have the words that describe things that are "not much."
- LICK
- OUNCE
- SHRED
- TRACE
When you have "just a lick" of something or "not a shred" of evidence, you're talking about tiny amounts. This is the "Green" or "Blue" territory. It requires you to shift your brain from nouns to units of measurement—not formal measurements like liters or grams, but idiomatic ones.
The "Forbes" Strategy for Solving Connections
When people search for the Connections Nov 9 Forbes guide, they are usually looking for that high-level analysis of how to approach the grid. Successful players use a "wait and see" approach.
Don't lock in your first guess.
Honestly, the best thing you can do is look for the most "specialized" words first. In today’s puzzle, there are a few words that relate to specific parts of a body or an object.
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Look for the "Parts"
Take a look at these:
- BRIDGE
- EYE
- FRAME
- TEMPLE
At first glance, "Eye" and "Temple" are parts of the head. But "Bridge"? "Frame"? If you wear glasses, this should click instantly. These are all parts of a pair of spectacles. This is often the "Purple" category—the one that uses a "Blank ____" or "Parts of a ____" logic. It’s the hardest to spot because the words are so common in other contexts.
Dealing with the Red Herrings
The November 9 puzzle tries to lead you astray with words that feel "techy" or "financial." You might see "Wash" and think of "Wash trading" in the crypto world. Don't fall for it. The NYT editors generally stick to more general knowledge.
The final group for today involves things that are, well, a bit more abstract.
- DASH
- HYPHEN
- MINUS
- NEGATIVE
These all relate to that little horizontal line: —. It's a "things that are represented by a short horizontal line" category. This is peak Connections. It’s not about what the words mean, but what they look like or how they are symbolized.
Summary of the November 9 Results
If you just want the quick answers to check your work, here is how the groups broke down for the Connections Nov 9 puzzle:
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Failure/Disappointment (Yellow): BOMB, DUD, FLOP, WASH.
Small Amounts (Green): LICK, OUNCE, SHRED, TRACE.
Parts of Glasses (Blue): BRIDGE, EYE, FRAME, TEMPLE.
Horizontal Line Symbols (Purple): DASH, HYPHEN, MINUS, NEGATIVE.
It wasn't the hardest puzzle in the world, but the "Wash" and "Lick" entries definitely tripped up a few of my friends this morning.
Actionable Tips for Tomorrow's Puzzle
To keep your streak alive, you need a system. Stop guessing. Every time you get a "One Away" message, you've essentially lost a life.
- Say the words out loud. Sometimes hearing the word helps you realize it has a double meaning you weren't seeing on the screen.
- Find the "Link" word. Identify the word that must belong to a specific category. For example, "Hyphen" almost always refers to punctuation. Work backward from there.
- Shuffle often. The NYT app puts words together to trick you. If you see "Bomb" next to "Negative," your brain might try to invent a "War" category. Hit that shuffle button to break the visual association.
- Check for "Types of" vs "Parts of". This is a common distinction that separates the Green and Blue categories.
- Use a notepad. If you're serious, write the words down. Seeing them in your own handwriting can break the "app-induced" brain fog.
If you messed up today, don't sweat it. The beauty of Connections is that there is always a new grid tomorrow. Just remember that the most obvious answer is rarely the right one for all four words in a set. Look for the outliers, identify the symbols, and always question whether "Wash" really means cleaning or something else entirely.