For daily ease, you might consider bookmarking this page. Past hints from previous puzzles are also available here, perfect for catching up on missed games.

In this segment, some subtle hints for today’s answers will be provided. Later, the themes and final answers will be disclosed. Take your time scrolling and only grab the hints you feel are necessary!

Image Credit: Connections/NYT

Theme Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle

Here are some hints regarding the classifications for today’s puzzle without spoilers:

• Yellow category – Concepts that decrease in size.
• Green category – Activities one might enjoy outdoors as spring approaches.
• Blue category – Items that adorn your feet.
• Purple category – A fill-in-the-blank related to beach items.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Connections Puzzle!

What follows includes some answers. Proceed slowly if you wish to avoid full spoilers. (The complete list of answers is located a bit further down.)

Clarifications on the Puzzling Parts

Keep in mind that MARY JANE and WEED do not reference marijuana; WEED serves as a verb here.

PETER is not merely a name but forms part of the expression “PETER out.”

A FLAT references a type of shoe, comfortable for travel prior to transitioning to heels.

FADE and TAPER belong together, but not simply because they describe hairstyles.

The term PIPER connects to another word linked to a type of bird.

Categories of Today’s Connections

• Yellow: WANE
• Green: DO SOME TASKS IN THE GARDEN
• Blue: SHOES
• Purple: SAND ___

Warning: Solutions Below

Ready to uncover the solutions for today’s Connections puzzle? The answers are detailed below.

Yellow Category Words

The easiest classification, themed WANE, comprises the words: DWINDLE, FADE, PETER, and TAPER.

Green Category Words

The second-most straightforward grouping, themed DO SOME TASKS IN THE GARDEN, includes: PLANT, PRUNE, WATER, and WEED.

Blue Category Words

The category deemed as the second hardest, themed SHOES, is made up of: FLAT, MARY JANE, MULE, and SLIDE.

Purple Category Words

The most challenging category, with the theme SAND ___, features: CASTLE, PAPER, PIPER, and STONE.

Solving Today’s Connections

In the blue category, the items MARY JANE, SLIDE, FLAT, and MULE represent various shoe styles. 🟦

Meanwhile, the terms TAPER, FADE, and DWINDLE can all signify a gradual disappearance. TAPER and FADE are additional descriptors for particular haircuts as well.

The actions of WATERING, PLANTING, WEEDING, and PRUNING are associated with garden maintenance. 🟩

PETER, in the context of “PETER out,” aligns with TAPER, FADE, and DWINDLE. 🟨

This leaves PAPER, STONE, PIPER, and CASTLE. Notable phrases include PAPER airplane, magic CASTLE, STONE age, and Pied PIPER. The expression “pay the PIPER” indicates facing the repercussions of one’s deeds. A closer look at “SAND ___” leads to the identification of sandPIPER as a specific bird type! 🟪

Connections
Puzzle #634
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Understanding Connections Gameplay

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

First, locate the Connections game either via the New York Times site or through their Games app (previously the Crossword app). You will encounter a game board consisting of 16 tiles, each one displaying a word or phrase. Your objective is to select four tiles that share a common theme. These could represent similar categories (e.g., RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW, all denoting types of wet weather) or involve clever wordplay (e.g., BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH, constituting different “lists”: bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Select your four items and press the Submit button. If your guess is right, the category and color will be disclosed (yellow indicates the easiest level, followed by green, blue, and purple respectively). Should your guess be incorrect, you’ll be given an opportunity to try again.

You achieve victory by accurately identifying all four groups. However, if you make four incorrect guesses before completing the game, it concludes and the answers will be revealed.

Winning Strategies for Connections

The key to winning at Connections is recognizing that the groupings are intentionally designed to be challenging. Be prepared for overlapping categories. For example, one puzzle included six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. Yet, BACON was actually part of a subset including renowned artists alongside CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG belonged to a category including items that typically come by the dozen (such as JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Therefore, refrain from hitting “submit” until you are certain your group only consists of those four items.

If you’re stuck, a useful tactic is to scrutinize words that seem to have no connection to the others. If WHISTLER immediately reminds you of the artwork known as “Whistler’s Mother,” you could be onto something. When tackling that particular puzzle, it prompted further research into whether a painter by the name of Close existed, as Close didn’t align with any apparent themes, either.

Finding help in the form of hints is yet another effective approach when challenged. That’s precisely why these tips are offered daily. Be sure to check back for the next puzzle!