Hints for Today’s Themes in Connections

Here are some spoiler-free hints regarding the group categories for this day’s Connections:

• Yellow category – “Ouch, that was sharp!”

• Green category – Phrases communicated over long distances by airline pilots or police officers.

• Blue category – Texts frequently referenced by followers of Christian and Jewish faiths.

• Purple category – Words that share the same initial sounds.

Attention: Spoilers Ahead!

Answers will be divulged shortly, so scroll carefully if you wish to avoid full disclosure. (The complete solution is located further down.)

Understanding the Tricky Aspects

ROGER isn’t just a name—it’s a term used to acknowledge receipt of information.

JOB is indeed a name, and it has a similar sound to “globe.”

STICK can function as a verb, as in, “the cactus needle STICKs into my arm.”

Categories for Today’s Connections

• Yellow: PRICK

• Green: RADIO LINGO

• Blue: OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS

• Purple: WORDS PRONOUNCED “SH” WITHOUT AN “SH”

Caution: The Answers are Revealed Below

Eager to discover the solutions for today’s Connections puzzle? They are provided below.

Yellow Words for Today’s Connections

The yellow grouping is deemed the simplest. Its theme is PRICK, featuring the words: JAB, PIERCE, POKE, STICK.

Green Words for Today’s Connections

The green classification is considered the second-easiest. The theme here is RADIO LINGO, consisting of the words: COPY, NEGATIVE, OVER, ROGER.

Blue Words for Today’s Connections

The blue set is the second-hardest challenge. It encompasses OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS, which include: DANIEL, JOB, JUDGES, NUMBERS.

Purple Words for Today’s Connections

The purple selection is recognized as the most difficult. Its theme is WORDS PRONOUNCED “SH” WITHOUT AN “SH,” with entries such as: SEAN, SIOBHAN, SUGAR, SURE.

Solving Today’s Connections Puzzle

Initial observations revealed several sharp words, including PIERCE, STICK, JAB, and POKE. It seemed logical to try those first. 🟨

Following that, NEGATIVE, ROGER, OVER, and COPY came to mind—the terms often linked with walkie-talkie communications. While ROGER, COPY, and SURE appeared to be confirming words, this collection felt more compelling. 🟩

SURE, SEAN, SUGAR, and SIOBHAN each started with an “S” that sounds like “SH.” 🟪

The remaining terms are DANIEL, NUMBERS, JUDGES, and JOB. While either “odd” pairs well with NUMBERS and JOB, they don’t seem to connect with DANIEL or JUDGES. Let’s examine this. 🟦 The category of OLD TESTAMENT BOOKS fits perfectly. Admittedly, biblical knowledge isn’t my strong suit.

Connections
Puzzle #667
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Instructions for Playing Connections

A comprehensive guide to playing Connections exists, but here’s a brief overview of the rules:

Locate the Connections game either on the New York Times website or through their Games app (formerly the Crossword app). You’ll encounter a game board with 16 tiles, each displaying a word or phrase. Your task is to select a quartet of tiles sharing a common theme. Typically, these represent the same category, such as: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW, all types of precipitation. Sometimes, however, clever wordplay is involved (e.g., BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH relate to types of lists: bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Choose four items and click the Submit button. If your selection is correct, the category and color will be displayed (yellow is the easiest, with green following, then blue, and lastly purple). If incorrect, you’ll have another opportunity to try again.

A win occurs when all four groups are accurately identified. However, if four mistakes are made prior to completion, the game concludes, revealing the answers.

Strategies for Winning Connections

The key to succeeding in Connections is understanding that the groupings are intentionally challenging. Be prepared for intersecting groups. For instance, a puzzle once included six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. However, BACON was part of a grouping of artists, including CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG associated with items that come by the dozen (like JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Therefore, refrain from clicking “submit” until confirming your chosen four consist of only those items.

If encountering difficulties, consider examining words that seem to lack connections to others. For instance, encountering WHISTLER might prompt thoughts of the famed painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” which might lead to something significant. Solving this puzzle involved researching whether there was a painter named Close, as Close didn’t match any evident themes either.

Reading through some helpful hints can be another efficient strategy when facing obstacles—this is precisely why consistent hints are shared. Remember to return tomorrow for the next puzzle!