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What follows are subtle hints for today’s Connections answers. As you proceed, a full set of themes and answers will be provided further down. Take it slow and only grab the hints you find necessary!

Credit: Connections/NYT

Hints for Today’s Connections Themes

Here are some hints for the groupings in the Connections puzzle without revealing answers:

• Yellow category – Think of variations.

• Green category – Associated with loud sounds.

• Blue category – Composed of similar materials.

• Purple category – Names of musicians.

WARNING: Spoilers Ahead!

The answers to today’s Connections puzzle are about to be revealed. Proceed cautiously if you wish to avoid spoilers. (The complete solutions follow soon.)

Notes on the Challenging Elements

PHONE, WALLET, and KEYS fit into three distinct categories.

CHANGE indicates a variation, rather than referring to currency.

KEYS signifies the artist behind “Girl on Fire.”

Categories for Today’s Connections

• Yellow: VARIATIONS ON A THEME

• Green: OBJECTS THAT RING

• Blue: ITEMS NORMALLY MADE FROM LEATHER

• Purple: PIANISTS WHO WRITE THEIR OWN MUSIC

DOUBLE WARNING: SOLUTIONS BELOW

Are you ready to discover the answers for today’s Connections puzzle? They are laid out below.

Yellow Category Words

The yellow grouping is quite accessible. The theme is VARIATIONS ON A THEME, consisting of: ALTERNATIVE, BREAK, CHANGE, DEPARTURE.

Green Category Words

The green grouping is the next in difficulty. The theme is OBJECTS THAT RING, made up of: ALARM, BELL, INTERCOM, PHONE.

Blue Category Words

The blue grouping presents more of a challenge. The theme is ITEMS NORMALLY MADE FROM LEATHER, including: FOOTBALL, MOCCASINS, SADDLE, WALLET.

Purple Category Words

The hardest grouping is purple. The theme corresponds to PIANISTS WHO WRITE THEIR OWN MUSIC, featuring: KEYS, KING, LEGEND, WONDER.

Instructions for Playing Connections

For detailed guidance on playing Connections, check this guide. Here’s a quick overview:

Begin by finding the Connections game either on the official New York Times website or through their Games app (formerly known as the Crossword app). You’ll see a board with 16 tiles, each displaying a word or phrase. Your task is to identify a group of four tiles that share a common trait. Often, they belong to the same category (e.g., RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all types of precipitation), but some may involve wordplay (like BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH, which refer to types of lists: bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Select four items and click the Submit button. When your guess is accurate, the category and its color will appear. (Yellow indicates the simplest, followed by green, blue, and finally purple.) If your selection is incorrect, you will have another chance to modify your choice.

Your victory occurs once all four groups are correctly identified. However, failing four times before completing the puzzle will result in an automatic game over with the answers unveiled.

Tips for Winning Connections

The key to winning Connections is recognizing that the groupings can be quite convoluted. Anticipate overlaps among categories. For example, one puzzle included what appeared to be six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. Yet, BACON ultimately linked to a group of painters alongside CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG belonged to a collection of items commonly found by the dozen (including JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Thus, don’t click “submit” until you are certain your group consists of only those four items.

If you find yourself stuck, consider focusing on words that stand out as having no discernible connection with the others. For instance, if WHISTLER reminds you solely of the painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” you may be on the right track. In a past puzzle, investigating the existence of a painter named Close led to successful completion since Close didn’t fit any apparent themes either.

Additionally, when you’re feeling stuck, seeking out a few helpful hints is always beneficial—hence these daily insights. Don’t forget to return tomorrow for more puzzle challenges!