Returning for Daily Hints

To easily revisit our daily hints for Connections, consider bookmarking this page. Previous hints are also available here, so you can catch up on any puzzles you missed.

Oblique Clues for Today’s Answers

Below are subtle hints for today’s Connections answers. Scroll at a leisurely pace to absorb only the clues you need!

Credit: Connections/NYT

Theme Hints for Today’s Puzzle

Here are some spoiler-free tips regarding the themes present in today’s Connections:

• Yellow category – Reflects what electronic music can do, or perhaps something akin to a headache.

• Green category – Features associated with the landscape.

• Blue category – Relates to essentials needed for hanging a new artwork.

• Purple category – A phrase completed with something connected to two of your extremities.

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!

Details of the answers are coming up next. Proceed cautiously if you want to avoid a complete spoiler (the full solution lies a bit further down).

Key Insights into Challenging Words

The term HAMMER indicates the tool used to strike a NAIL.

A CAPE is not merely a superhero accessory—it’s a geographical formation along a coastline.

The term LOCKER pairs with a word to form the name of a well-known shoe retailer.

Categories in Today’s Connections

• Yellow: THROB

• Green: LANDFORMS

• Blue: PICTURE HANGING NEEDS

• Purple: FOOT ___

WARNING: Answers Below

Ready to discover today’s Connections answers? All will be disclosed below.

Yellow Group Words

The yellow category is typically the most straightforward. Today’s theme is THROB, encompassing: BEAT, POUND, PULSE, THUMP.

Green Group Words

The green category is often the second-easiest. The focus here is LANDFORMS, with elements: CAPE, CRATER, GORGE, RIDGE.

Blue Group Words

The blue section is regarded as the second-hardest. This category also aligns with PICTURE HANGING NEEDS, featuring: HAMMER, HANGER, LEVEL, NAIL.

Purple Group Words

The purple category represents the most challenging group. Its theme is FOOT ___, which includes: BALL, HILLS, LOCKER, PRINT.

Strategizing for Success in Today’s Connections

Connections #666! There’s anticipation for uniqueness in this puzzle.

Initial thoughts pointed towards GORGE as a hint for geographic features like HILLS, CRATER, and RIDGE—along with CAPE.

LEVEL, NAIL, and HANGER might allude to items for wall-mounting art—perhaps even referring to a PRINT.

PULSE, POUND, BEAT, and THUMP could form another category. The inclusion of NAIL might actually be better suited with these terms. Yes, POUND, PULSE, BEAT, THUMP seem to align as rhythm-related words. 🟨

This suggests a pairing with tools: NAIL and HAMMER could naturally group together. LEVEL would fit as well.

Testing the combination of RIDGE, GORGE, CRATER, and CAPE seems promising—though HILLS may not match due to its plural form. 🟩

Opting for the quartet HAMMER, LEVEL, NAIL, and HANGER solidifies the tool theme for hanging pictures. 🟦 Correctly identified tools for this task, the fourth word was a guess between PRINT and HANGER.

This leaves BALL, HILLS, PRINT, and LOCKER. Reflections on WORD variations led to FOOTBALL, FOOTHILLS, FOOTPRINT, and FOOT LOCKER. A triumphant solve! 🟪

While it wasn’t overtly demonic, it certainly presented a challenge!

Connections
Puzzle #666
🟨🟦🟨🟨
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪

Understanding the Game: How to Play Connections

A comprehensive guide to playing Connections is available, but here’s a quick refresher on the rules:

Find the Connections game either on the New York Times website or in the Games app. You’ll encounter a game board featuring 16 tiles, each displaying a word or phrase. Your mission is to select a set of four tiles that share a common attribute. Often, these will belong to the same category, but sometimes wordplay is involved.

Choose four items, and submit your guess. If correct, the category and color will be shown (from yellow, the easiest, to purple, the hardest). An incorrect guess allows you another attempt.

Complete the puzzle by identifying all four groups. Be mindful—if you make four wrong guesses before finishing, the game ends, and you’ll see the answers.

Winning Strategies for Connections

Key to mastering Connections is understanding that the groupings are intentionally challenging. Expect overlapping categories. A previous puzzle featured multiple breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, and OMELET, but BACON was part of a group linked to famous painters alongside CLOSE and WHISTLER, while EGG connected to items that come in groups of twelve.

Ensure that your selected quartet contains exclusive matches before hitting “submit”.

If stumped, try analyzing words that seem unrelated to others. For example, recognizing WHISTLER as associated with “Whistler’s Mother” could lead you in the right direction. In another instance, one could contemplate whether a painter named Close fit, as it did not align with obvious themes.

Seeking hints can also break through mental blocks—this resource provides assistance daily. Remember to check back for the next installment!