If you’re a fan of brain-busting games like Wordle, you’ll love Connections—one of the most engaging puzzle challenges from the New York Times. This addictive game tasks you with sorting 16 seemingly unrelated words into four hidden categories by figuring out how they connect. But beware: the connections aren’t always obvious! Each day brings a fresh puzzle with varying levels of difficulty, and the game resets every night at midnight.
Just like with Wordle, Connections lets you track your streak and share your scores with friends, making it as social as it is stimulating. Some days, the puzzles are delightfully easy, while others can leave you scratching your head—similar to other NYT favorites like The Mini crossword and Strands.
If you’re feeling stuck, don’t worry. Our Connections hints and strategy guide can help. And if all else fails, you’ll find today’s answers at the end of this article.
How to Play Connections
Playing Connections is simple but endlessly rewarding. You can find it on the New York Times website or through the NYT Games app, available for iOS and Android.
Here’s how it works:
- You’ll start with a grid of 16 words.
- Your goal is to group these words into four sets of four, based on shared themes.
- Themes can range from colors to book titles, video game franchises, or even tools used to start fires!
Sounds easy, right? Not so fast. Words often seem to fit multiple themes, but there’s only one correct solution. The challenge lies in spotting the unique links that tie the words together.
To help, you can shuffle and rearrange the grid to better visualize potential connections. Each group is color-coded to indicate difficulty:
- Yellow is the easiest.
- Green offers a moderate challenge.
- Blue requires sharp thinking.
- Purple is often the trickiest.
To solve, select four words and hit Submit. A correct guess removes the words and reveals the theme. But be careful—every incorrect guess counts as a mistake, and you only get four chances before the game ends.
Hints for Today’s Connections
Need a little help with today’s puzzle? Here are the four secret themes, along with a word from each group to point you in the right direction:
- Theme 1: Words related to deliberation (Consideration)
- Theme 2: Items used to start a fire (Flint)
- Theme 3: Tools to view biological samples (Microscope)
- Theme 4: Words that follow “X” (Factor)
Today’s Connections Solution
Still stumped? No worries—this game is designed to challenge even the sharpest minds. Here’s the full solution to today’s puzzle:
- Deliberation: Consideration, Reflection, Scrutiny, Thought
- Used in Starting a Fire: Flint, Lighter, Magnifying Glass, Matches
- Used to View a Biological Sample: Microscope, Slide, Specimen, Stain
- Words After “X”: Factor, Files, Games, Ray
Why We Love Connections
Connections is a fantastic daily challenge that keeps your brain sharp and your streak alive. Whether you solve today’s puzzle or not, there’s always a fresh grid waiting for you tomorrow. With its creative themes and clever twists, it’s no wonder this game has become a must-play for puzzle lovers everywhere.
Ready for tomorrow? Keep practicing, and may your connections always click! 😊