A Fun Guide to NYT Connections

NYT Connections is a word game in which you have to discover sets of four words that have something in common. Easy, right? Not necessarily! The connections are sometimes obvious, such as colors or foods, for example. But sometimes they are subtle, such as words that all define “fast” or titles of well-known TV shows.

The game presents you with 16 words daily. Your task is to identify four words that share a commonality. Once you do, they vanish, and you continue the process over and over until the four groups are discovered. It’s a bit of a treasure hunt-style game, except you’re not looking for gold; you’re trying to uncover word relationships!

Here’s a step-by-step guide to getting you playing like a pro in minutes:

See the 16 words – As you open up the game, you’re presented with a large grid of 16 different words. Some of them may seem completely random, but relax—they all share a secret in common!

Find four words that fit in a group together – Your job is to find four words that fit in a group that all share something in common. If you take a glance at a group of four that includes “apple,” “banana,” “grape,” and “orange,” you can take a chance that they all fit in a group called “Fruits.”

Make a guess – Once you’ve chosen four words, click on the “Submit” button. If you’ve got it right, the four words disappear, and you’ve got one step closer to winning. If you’ve got it wrong, relax! You can try again.
Play until you’ve found all four groups – There’s always four groups of four, and it’s up to you to find all of them. Just be careful! You’ve got four chances to get it wrong before it’s over.

Win the game! – Once you’ve found all four groups correctly, you’ve won it! The game displays each of the groups you correctly found, and you can check how you’ve done.

Not all groups of words are created equal! In NYT Connections, groups are shaded from easy to hard:

Yellow (Easiest) – These groups are typically very easy, such as “Colors” (Red, Blue, Green, Yellow) or “Days of the

Week” (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday).

Green (Medium-Easy) – There is a little more work to be done, but it’s not too tough. Examples include “Types of

Shoes” (Sneakers, Sandals, Boots, Loafers).

Blue (Harder) – These require a little more concentration, such as “Words That Mean Fast” (Quick, Rapid, Swift, Hasty).

Purple (Trickiest!) – This is the most challenging group! It might be something unexpected, such as “Movie Titles

That Start with ‘The'” (The Lion King, The Avengers, The Matrix, The Incredibles).
The challenge is to determine these groups without getting duped by words that feel right but aren’t.

Improve at NYT Connections using these useful tips!

1. Do the Easiest Ones First
Start by looking for the most straightforward set of words. If you can spot four animals, four sports, or four colors, choose those to begin with. This allows you to use more space to work and to get a better view of the other connections.

2. Say the Words Out Loud
There are words that do not seem related, yet when you say them out loud, you may discover something! Let’s take a glance at “Knight,” “Write,” “Night,” and “Right” – they look different, yet sound identical! This is a sneaky set of “Homophones” (words that sound identical yet have different meanings).

3. Look for Hidden Themes
There are sometimes words that relate in a way that is not immediately apparent. Let’s take a glance at:
“Crispy,” “Crunchy,” “Chewy,” and “Soft” can be categorized as “Food Textures.””Rock,” “Jazz,” “Pop,” and “Hip-hop” can be categorized as “Music Genres.”
“Spring,” “Summer,” “Autumn,” and “Winter” are referred to as “Seasons.”

4. Watch Out for Sneaky Words
The game tries to trick you using words that can be in more than one set. For instance, when you get to “Blue,” “Gold,” “Silver,” and “Rose,” you may think that all of them are colors. Actually, though, they can also be “Medal Types” (Gold, Silver, and Bronze are Olympic medals, and “Blue” is a color of a ribbon).5. Don’t Be Shy to Guess
You get to make four mistakes during the game, so use your guesses wisely. However, don’t be afraid to take a guess! Sometimes even a bad guess can lead you to a new connection that you hadn’t noticed yet.6. Work in Reverse
If you get stuck, try to get to the most difficult set first. Once you get to the most challenging four words, it will be easy to group up the remaining words.

I love this game because it challenges you to think in a different way. It is helpful in that it:

Improves problem-solving skills – You must look for patterns and be imaginative.
Improves vocabulary – You will be introduced to new words and their meanings.
Improves quick thinking – There is a limit to how many attempts you get, so you must be resourceful in your guesses!
And it feels great when you get a tough set solved. It’s like a little mystery solved each day!

So you’ve learned it all there is to know about NYT Connections! Keep in mind to:

• Locate the easiest group to start.
• Say it out loud to unveil hidden connections.
• Watch out for sneaky words that fit into more than one group.
• Have fun and don’t give up!Play it alone or play it with a group of friends, this game is going to sharpen your mind and put a smile on your face. So go ahead—take a plunge in today’s puzzle and challenge yourself to find all of the connections. Have fun puzzling!