In today’s Connections puzzle from the New York Times, players are presented with a grid of 16 words and must arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. Each group is color-coded, with the purple group typically being the hardest to deduce due to wordplay. Players can shuffle the words to help see connections but must be careful of fitting words into multiple categories.
If players make four mistakes, the game is over, so hints and answers can be a valuable tool. Today’s 16 words for the puzzle are SIDE, SURFACE, BUTTERFLY, DOMINO, FREESTYLE, PLACEBO, MAKE UP, CRAWL, COSMETIC, BABBLE, EXTERNAL, AD-LIB, COO, IMPROV, SHALLOW, and NURSE. The hints for the groups are: yellow group – come up with on the spot, green group – activities of the very young, blue group – frivolous, lacking depth, and purple group – linked by the impact of a cause.
Today’s Connections groups include: yellow group – invent as you go, green group – things babies do, blue group – superficial, and purple group – ____ effect. The answers for today’s puzzle are: yellow group – invent as you go (AD-LIB, FREESTYLE, IMPROV, MAKE UP), green group – things babies do (BABBLE, COO, CRAWL, NURSE), blue group – superficial (COSMETIC, EXTERNAL, SHALLOW, SURFACE), and purple group – ____ effect (BUTTERFLY, DOMINO, PLACEBO, SIDE).
The author shares their success with the Connections puzzle, having achieved five straight perfect games and six wins in a row. The author initially thought the puzzle might involve swimming terms but ultimately figured out the yellow group with words like AD-LIB and FREESTYLE. The author then successfully completed the puzzle by properly arranging the green, purple, and blue groups.
That’s all for today’s Connections clues and answers. Players can visit the author’s blog for hints and solutions for future games. Additionally, the author shares a personal anecdote about seeing the band Queens of the Stone Age live and reflects on their performance. The author highlights their enjoyment of the show and shares a memorable moment from the concert.
