Connections #1252 hints
Take the hints one colour at a time. Yellow tends to be the most direct and purple the most sideways.
Hints revealed: 0
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Yellow group hintGentle hint
What words would you reach for to describe something that's ahead of its time?
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Green group hintGentle hint
These are places or setups where a school, hospital, or company does its work.
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Blue group hintHelpful hint
Pick up a board and plan several moves ahead of your opponent.
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Purple group hintHelpful hint
Does swapping the opening letter turn these into things a newborn might use, like something to shake or sleep in?
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Where's the trap?Strong hint: may name board words
Several words seem to mean sophisticated or up to date, but only some of them truly describe being ahead of the curve, while others name kinds of places.
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The four group namesStrong hint: reveals all four categories
- CUTTING-EDGE
- LOCATIONS FOR AN INSTITUTION
- STRATEGY BOARD GAMES
- BABY GEAR WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED
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Difficulty: Hard. The reason is in the answers section, since it can name the groups.
Play Connections #1252
These are the 16 words in the order NYT shows them. Tap four words you think belong together and press Submit. You get four mistakes, and we'll tell you when you are one word away. Nothing is saved, so you can practise without touching your real streak. The longest word on this board is PROGRESSIVE and the shortest is GO.
Connections #1252 answers
The groups for November 14, 2026 are below, each with a reason for every word.
Reveal one group at a time
Three levels per colour: a single word, the group name, then all four. Open only what you need.
Show one word
ADVANCED is in the yellow group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is CUTTING-EDGE.
Show all four words
ADVANCED, FOREMOST, MODERN, PROGRESSIVE
Show one word
CAMPUS is in the green group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is LOCATIONS FOR AN INSTITUTION.
Show all four words
CAMPUS, CENTER, COMPLEX, FACILITY
Show one word
CHESS is in the blue group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is STRATEGY BOARD GAMES.
Show all four words
CHESS, GO, OTHELLO, STRATEGO
Show one word
BATTLE is in the purple group. Look for three more words that share something with it.
Show the group name
The group is BABY GEAR WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED.
Show all four words
BATTLE, MARRIAGE, MOTTLE, TRIB
All four groups at once
Show all four groups
- ADVANCED: Describes something at a high, innovative level.
- FOREMOST: Leading the way, at the front.
- MODERN: Up to date, not old-fashioned.
- PROGRESSIVE: Favoring new ideas and forward change.
- CAMPUS: The grounds where a college sits.
- CENTER: A place built for a specific institution's work.
- COMPLEX: A group of buildings run by one organization.
- FACILITY: A site or building serving an institution's purpose.
- CHESS: Classic two-player strategy game with kings and pawns.
- GO: Ancient board game of placing stones to claim territory.
- OTHELLO: Flip your opponent's discs by trapping them between yours.
- STRATEGO: Hidden-rank pieces, find the opponent's flag.
Purple group explained
- BATTLE: Change B to R to get RATTLE.
- MARRIAGE: Change M to C to get CARRIAGE.
- MOTTLE: Change M to B to get BOTTLE.
- TRIB: Change T to C to get CRIB.
Why it rated hard: The first three groups are fairly clear, but the last one needs you to tweak letters, and a couple of those words look like they belong elsewhere.
Puzzle note
The tricky part was ADVANCED, MODERN, FOREMOST and PROGRESSIVE sitting beside CAMPUS, CENTER, COMPLEX and FACILITY, since both sets sound polished and official. Odd spellings gave purple away. Before grouping, ask yourself: which words look slightly broken, and what would fix them?
What does STRATEGO mean?
A two-player board game where each side hides the rank of its pieces, like spies, bombs and generals, and tries to capture the other's flag. It is less widely known than chess or Othello.
What does TRIB mean?
Not a standard word on its own. It is CRIB with the first letter changed, so it fits the baby gear group. It is also short for tribunal or tribune in some uses.
Recent Connections puzzles
| Date | Puzzle | Purple group |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 13 | #1251 | BRAIN ___ |
| Nov 12 | #1250 | STARTING WITH BEST PICTURE OSCAR WINNERS |
| Nov 11 | #1249 | ENDING IN PALINDROMES |
| Nov 10 | #1248 | WORDS WITH FIVE OF ONE VOWEL |
| Nov 9 | #1247 | ENDING IN SEA CREATURES |
| Nov 8 | #1246 | VEGETABLE HOMOPHONES |
| Nov 7 | #1245 | ENDS OF STORM TYPES |
About Connections
In Connections, 16 words hide four groups of four, and you can make four mistakes. Yellow is usually the plainest group and purple the most playful. Old puzzles show the same kinds of traps again and again, so replaying them is good practice.
Other puzzles on Nov 14
Connections #1252 questions
How hard was Connections #1252?
We rated it hard.
What were the Connections answers on November 14, 2026?
CUTTING-EDGE: ADVANCED, FOREMOST, MODERN, PROGRESSIVE. LOCATIONS FOR AN INSTITUTION: CAMPUS, CENTER, COMPLEX, FACILITY. STRATEGY BOARD GAMES: CHESS, GO, OTHELLO, STRATEGO. BABY GEAR WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: BATTLE, MARRIAGE, MOTTLE, TRIB.
What was the purple group in Connections #1252?
BABY GEAR WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: BATTLE, MARRIAGE, MOTTLE, TRIB.
What made Connections #1252 tricky?
Several words seem to mean sophisticated or up to date, but only some of them truly describe being ahead of the curve, while others name kinds of places.
What was the easiest group in Connections #1252?
Usually yellow, which was CUTTING-EDGE: ADVANCED, FOREMOST, MODERN, PROGRESSIVE.