Connections, the NYT’s latest cryptic word game, challenges you to sort 16 words into four categories (you can’t see which yet!), based on relationships between the words. Each day’s puzzle is reset at midnight, and each puzzle varies in difficulty. As with Wordle, you can track your win streak and compare scores with friends.
Some days are more difficult than others. It’s common to get stuck on one of the Connections puzzles we run every weekday. If that’s the case today (and it happens to the best of us), you might find our tips and hints below helpful. And if you just can’t solve it? At the end of this page, we provide the answer.
How to play Connections
In Connections, you’ll see a grid with 16 words. You must figure out how those 16 words should be grouped into four groups of four by determining the groups they connect. For example, one foursome might be all the titles of video game franchises, another the sequels of famous book series, another all shades of red, another all names of chain restaurants, etc.
You are confronted with words that you feel could fit numerous themes (there’s always one right answer), and you can also spin the grid of words around to better understand how they could fit one way versus another.
Each group has its own colour (yellow, green, blue and purple, in order from easiest to unravel).
Pick four words and press Submit. If you’re right, the four words will disappear from the grid, and the theme that ties them together will be revealed. Fumble your way through it and it will be recorded as an error. You have four mistakes to make before the game ends.
Hints for today’s Connections
We will supply the correct answers for today’s Connection, namely the four themes, below. If you still need further help, one word in each group is provided.
Today’s themes
BIOLOGICAL BUILDING BLOCKS
PURCHASE FOR A BABY
OBJECTS PLAYED AS INSTRUMENTS
_____ TAG
One-answer reveals
BIOLOGICAL BUILDING BLOCKS – ATOM
PURCHASE FOR A BABY – BOTTLE
OBJECTS PLAYED AS INSTRUMENTS – JUG
_____ TAG – DOG
Today’s Connections answers
Still coming up short? Don’t worry: that’s the point. This puzzle is meant to be such a challenge. Here’s today’s Connections anode anyway, if you just need to see it:
BIOLOGICAL BUILDING BLOCKS – ATOM, CELL, MOLECULE, PROTEIN
PURCHASE FOR A BABY – BOTTLE, CRIB, MOBILE, RATTLE
OBJECTS PLAYED AS INSTRUMENTS – JUG, SAW, SPOONS, WASHBOARD
_____ TAG – DOG, FREEZE, PHONE, PRICE
Connections grids can take dozens of different shapes, and they change every day. If you can’t solve today’s puzzle, try again tomorrow.