Credit: Connections/NYT

Hints for Today’s Connections Themes

Ponder these spoiler-free clues for the categories in this week’s Connections:

• Yellow category – Represents the method by which something is accomplished.

• Green category – Terms indicating an amount that is less than complete.

• Blue category – Words James Bond might use if he altered his preferred order.

• Purple category – These terms all relate to a male title.

CAUTION: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Connections Puzzle!

At this point, the answers will be revealed. Proceed with caution if you don’t want to spoil the surprise! (Full answers are located further down.)

Navigating the Challenging Aspects

Note that SHY does not imply small stature; it relates to a context like “I was just SHY of 60 miles per hour.”

MEDIUM and BIG do not form a linked pair. MEDIUM refers to the approach taken, as in “the MEDIUM used for this artwork is oil on canvas.”

When identifying PEANUT, remember the PEANUT mascot known for his bowler hat and monocle. (Familiarity with pop culture may assist with the others in that category.)

Categories in Today’s Connections Puzzle

• Yellow: MEANS

• Green: LACKING

• Blue: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS

• Purple: FICTIONAL MISTERS

DOUBLE CAUTION: THE SOLUTION IS BELOW

Ready to discover the answers to today’s Connections puzzle? They are fully detailed below.

Explore the Yellow Words

The yellow grouping is regarded as the most straightforward. The theme for this category is MEANS, and the associated words include: MECHANISM, MEDIUM, TOOL, VEHICLE.

Delve into the Green Words

The green grouping is considered the second easiest. The linked theme for today’s green category is LACKING, with the terms being: LIGHT, LOW, SHORT, SHY.

Discover the Blue Words

The blue grouping ranks as the second hardest difficulty. The theme here is MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS, encompassing the words: DIRTY, DRY, PERFECT, WET.

Investigate the Purple Words

The purple grouping is believed to present the highest level of challenge. Its theme relates to FICTIONAL MISTERS, featuring the words: BIG, PEANUT, ROBOT, TOAD.

Solving Today’s Connections Puzzle

Choices like VEHICLE, ROBOT, and MECHANISM suggest a connection, but a fourth word is elusive.

Perhaps SHY, LIGHT, LOW, and SHORT fall into the category of “less than a total amount.” Let’s try that! 🟩

What if TOOL pairs with VEHICLE, MECHANISM, and ROBOT? No, it’s “one away.” Intriguing—still unsure about that one.

WET and DRY seem to contrast, just as PERFECT and DIRTY do. Those associations remind one of washing machine settings, but it doesn’t seem to fit completely.

MEDIUM might actually align with VEHICLE, MECHANISM, and TOOL. It’s clear MEDIUM can imply “in-between,” but also denotes the manner of doing something, particularly in art: “he creates using the medium of painting,” for instance. 🟨

There may be a group connected to the term “mister.” Mr. PEANUT (the face of Planters), Mr. TOAD, Mr. ROBOT (the series), and Mr. BIG (from Sex and the City). 🟪 Yes! What a relief.

Remaining are DIRTY, PERFECT, DRY, and WET. Besides representing “states of being,” their connection isn’t clear at first glance. 🟦 Ah, these fit under MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS. Is a PERFECT martini actually a recognized term? Huh, apparently, it is! Interesting!

Connections
Puzzle #584
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Guidelines to Play Connections

A complete guide on playing Connections is available, but here are the rules outlined simply:

Start by locating the Connections game through the New York Times website or their Games app (previously known as the Crossword app). There, a game board will present 16 tiles, each containing a word or phrase. Your task is to identify a cluster of four tiles that share a common attribute. These may encompass similar items (for instance, RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all categorized as types of moist weather), or may involve clever wordplay (like BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH, which are all associated with lists: bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Select four items and click the Submit button. A correct guess will reveal the category alongside the color (yellow indicates the easiest level, followed by green, blue, and purple). If the guess is wrong, there’s a chance to try again.

Victory is achieved once all four groups have been correctly identified. However, if four errors occur prior, the game concludes, and the solutions will be displayed.

Winning Strategies for Connections

Understanding that the groupings are crafted to be challenging is key to succeeding in Connections. Overlapping groups are commonly included. For example, one puzzle featured six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. Nevertheless, BACON was aligned not only with food but also with a group of famous painters: CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG was categorized among entities that come in dozens (alongside JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Therefore, refrain from clicking “submit” until confirming that your selected set of four exclusively contains those four items.

If stuck, consider examining the words that appear to connect the least with the others. For example, if WHISTLER brings to mind only the renowned painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” you might be nearing a breakthrough. Once that puzzle was solved, verifying who Close was helped clarify its unique connection.

If obstacles continue to block progress, reaching for helpful hints can often prove beneficial—hence the routine sharing of these tips. Return tomorrow for the next puzzle!