The NYT Connections answers today, November 14, 2026, are Cutting-edge; Locations for an institution; Strategy board games; and Baby gear with the first letter changed. Puzzle #1252 finishes with four words that become nursery items when their opening letter changes.
The full solution below matches two dated guides. Each colour contains four answers, with the purple category requiring a spelling transformation rather than a straightforward shared meaning.
If you want a smaller nudge before checking every word, use the four clues first. Pay particular attention to words that can be ordinary nouns or names of games.
Hints for November 14
- Yellow: words suggesting something innovative or ahead of its time.
- Green: places where an organisation operates.
- Blue: games played across a board.
- Purple: change the first letter to find something for a baby.
Yellow: Cutting-edge
ADVANCED, FOREMOST, MODERN, PROGRESSIVE
These adjectives share a sense of being current, forward-looking or at the leading edge. PROGRESSIVE belongs with those descriptive words here.
Green: Locations for an institution
CAMPUS, CENTER, COMPLEX, FACILITY
Read COMPLEX as a collection of buildings, not as an adjective meaning complicated. The other three words likewise identify premises or a location used by an institution.
Blue: Strategy board games
CHESS, GO, OTHELLO, STRATEGO
GO needs its game meaning, rather than the everyday verb. OTHELLO also belongs here as a board-game name, making it the useful link alongside CHESS and STRATEGO.
Purple: Baby gear with first letter changed
BATTLE, MARRIAGE, MOTTLE, TRIB
BATTLE becomes RATTLE, MARRIAGE becomes CARRIAGE, MOTTLE becomes BOTTLE, and TRIB becomes CRIB. Only the first letter changes in each case; the remaining letters stay in the same order. That consistent operation is what makes the four answers a group.
Find more daily puzzle solutions in our Word Games coverage.
