For easy access to daily hints for Connections, consider bookmarking this page. It also provides a collection of previous hints should you be curious about missed challenges.

Let’s start with some subtle hints regarding today’s Connections answers. As you read, feel free to scroll through gradually and extract only the clues you need!

Credit: Connections/NYT

Hints on Today’s Connections Themes

Here are some spoiler-free insights for today’s groupings:

• Yellow category – Descriptive terms for crayons or markers.

• Green category – Openings or valleys often found in wooded regions.

• Blue category – All members share the same first name.

• Purple category – Rearranged letters form items typically found in a marker box.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Connections!

At this point, some answers will be revealed. Proceed carefully if you want to avoid full spoilers. (Complete solutions lie further down.)

Notable Challenges in Today’s Puzzle

The term DRE does not pertain to Dr. DRE.

Although DOLE ran for president, he was not elected.

GLEN, in this context, refers to a land form rather than a personal name.

Categories Featured in Today’s Connections

• Yellow: TINT

• Green: VALLEY

• Blue: BOBS

• Purple: COLOR ANAGRAMS

WARNING: SOLUTIONS BELOW

Ready to uncover today’s Connections answers? They are detailed below.

Yellow Words From Today’s Connections

The yellow category is straightforward, focused on TINT. The words are: COLOR, HUE, SHADE, TONE.

Green Words From Today’s Connections

The green category is the second-easiest, centered on VALLEY. The words are: DALE, DELL, GLEN, HOLLOW.

Blue Words From Today’s Connections

The blue category poses the next level of challenge, themed as BOBS. The words are: DOLE, HOPE, MARLEY, ROSS.

Purple Words From Today’s Connections

The hardest grouping, themed COLOR ANAGRAMS, includes: DRE, GARY, GENRE, LUBE.

Approach to Solving Today’s Connections

A clever reference to Glengarry Glen Ross appears at the top.

MARLEY evokes thoughts of Bob MARLEY, while DRE could hint at Dr. DRE, and perhaps ROSS suggests Diana ROSS. That one is saved for later consideration.

COLOR, SHADE, TONE, and HUE are all synonymous with different aspects of color. 🟨

In terms of geography, GLEN, DALE, HOLLOW, and DELL all refer to forested or valley-like places. 🟩 Notably, I see how they connect with VALLEY. Interesting!

Simultaneously, seeing HOPE and DOLE nearby hints at both being surnames for individuals named Bob, paralleling ROSS and MARLEY as well. 🟦

Lastly, GENRE, DRE, LUBE, and GARY present a puzzling cluster. Not all can be physicians, right? (Dr. LUBE isn’t a common name.) This category feels convoluted. 🟪 With a twist, DRE is categorized as red, GARY as gray, GENRE as green, and LUBE as blue. Quite the riddle.

Connections
Puzzle #685
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Gameplay Overview for Connections

A comprehensive guide to Connections is available, but here’s a succinct summary:

First, access the Connections game either on the New York Times website or through their Games app (previously known as the Crossword app). You’ll encounter a game board of 16 tiles, with each presenting a word or phrase. Your objective is to identify a group of four tiles sharing a common theme. Frequently, these items fall under the same category (for instance, RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all weather terms), but some groupings may be based on clever wordplay (e.g., BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH all connect to lists like bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Select a group of four and press the Submit button. If the guess is accurate, the category and color will be displayed (ranking from yellow as the easiest to purple as the hardest). An incorrect guess grants another opportunity to try.

Victory is achieved when all four groups are identified correctly. However, reaching four incorrect guesses prior to completing the game results in an end, revealing the answers.

Tips for Winning Connections

To excel in Connections, understanding that the groupings can be intricate is key. Expect patterns and overlaps among categories. For instance, a puzzle once featured six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. Yet, BACON was also part of a group of painters alongside CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG fit within items that come by the dozen (comprised of JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Therefore, refrain from hitting “submit” until you can verify that your selection of four exclusively fits the criteria.

If progress stalls, consider examining the words that seem least connected to the others. If WHISTLER triggers thoughts of the artwork titled “Whistler’s Mother,” you might be on the right track. In that instance, a search for whether there exists a painter named Close led to newfound connections.

Additionally, reading through some helpful hints is always advisable—this is precisely why daily pointers are provided. Be sure to return tomorrow for the next puzzle!