Welcome back, puzzle pals! It's hump day, that midweek hump we all need to conquer before sliding into the weekend. Speaking of conquering, last night, I found myself standing in front of the fridge, indecisive about what snack to nibble on. Should I go for the last slice of cheesecake or opt for a healthier choice? The struggle was real, my friends.
In today's "Connections" puzzle, keep an eye out for those sneaky color tiers – they might lead you down unexpected paths. Remember, sometimes a word can wear a different hue depending on the context it's in. So, scan for loose synonyms and watch out for those crafty cross-category decoys trying to throw you off the scent.
As we wrap up the year, why not exercise those brain muscles with a bit of puzzling fun? Dive into today's challenge, connect the dots, and see where the trail leads. Need a hint or just want to share your progress? Don't be shy! Let's tackle this together.
How to Play NYT Connections
Overview
Connections is a daily word puzzle game from The New York Times. The goal is to find groups of four words that share something in common. You’re presented with 16 words arranged in a 4×4 grid, and you must identify four groups of four related words.
Basic Rules
- You have 16 words total, arranged in a 4×4 grid
- There are exactly 4 groups of 4 related words each
- Each word belongs to exactly one group
- You must find all four groups to complete the puzzle
- You have 4 mistakes allowed before the game ends
How to Play
- Look at all 16 words and try to identify patterns or connections
- Select 4 words you think belong together by clicking/tapping them
- Click “Submit” to check if your group is correct
- If correct, those 4 words will be removed and grouped together
- If incorrect, you lose one of your 4 allowed mistakes
- Continue until you find all 4 groups or run out of mistakes
Difficulty Levels
The four groups are color-coded by difficulty:
- 🟨 YELLOW: Easiest – usually straightforward categories
- 🟩 GREEN: Easy-Medium – slightly more complex connections
- 🟦 BLUE: Medium-Hard – trickier associations or wordplay
- 🟪 PURPLE: Hardest – often involves puns, multiple meanings, or very subtle connections
Strategy Tips
- Start with the most obvious connections first
- Be careful of red herrings – words that seem to fit multiple categories
- If you’re unsure, try to eliminate what doesn’t belong first
- The purple group often involves wordplay, homophones, or very creative connections
- Don’t guess randomly – you only have 4 mistakes
Scoring
- Complete the puzzle to see your results
- Mistakes are tracked but don’t affect your final score
- Share your results with friends using the share button
- Results show how many mistakes you made for each group