What is NYT Connections?
Connections is one of the most popular New York Times word games that has captured public attention as the second-most popular NYT Games puzzle after the main crossword. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create this engaging daily word game that has become a social media hit.
The premise is deceptively simple: players must find the “common threads between words” by grouping 16 words into four categories of four words each. These categories could comprise anything from book titles and software providers to country names and thematic connections. Even though multiple words may seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer for each group.
Understanding Connections Hints
Connections hints are crucial for solving daily puzzles successfully. These hints come in different forms to help players identify the four categories without immediately revealing the answers.
Types of Connections Hints
Category Hints: These provide thematic clues about what connects the four words in each group. For example:
- “Hut Hut” might hint at football-related actions
- “Thirst quencher” could indicate sources of drinking water
- “A hook up” might reference fastening devices
Word-Based Connections Hints: These give you one word from each category to help narrow down the groups:
- Yellow group word: “Baby” (could be part of “Shades of blue”)
- Green group word: “Fast” (might relate to “Adjectives for a sports car”)
Pattern-Based Connections Hints: These describe the type of connection without revealing the specific category:
- “Pattern” – suggests a sequence or order
- “To notice” – implies words about observation
- “Stretches” – could indicate physical positions or extensions
Basic Rules
- Objective: Take 16 words and find links between four groups of four words each
- Categories: Groups can be specific categories or word puzzles where terms may come before or after certain words
- Attempts: You get only four mistakes before the game ends
- Daily Reset: Like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight with new challenging word sets
Gameplay Features
- Rearrangement: Players can shuffle and rearrange the board to make spotting connections easier
- Feedback: When you select four words, you’ll either get a solve with a lit-up row showing your connection, or if you’re close, it will tell you that you’re “one away”
- Sharing: Results can be shared on social media, similar to Wordle
Difficulty Levels
The game uses a color-coded difficulty system:
- Yellow: Easiest category
- Green: Moderate difficulty
- Blue: Harder category
- Purple: Most challenging category
Access and Availability
Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices as a free offering that gets your brain moving every day. For access to full archives of past puzzles, you can get an NYT Games subscription.
Daily Connections Hints and Solutions
Friday, July 18, 2025 – Puzzle #768
The 16 Words: TACK, TAP, RAP, SNAP, LEO, BRAD, SPIKE, DON, NAIL, WELL, MIC, PASS, SPRING, RAIN, PUNT, PIN
Connections Hints:
- Green Group: “Hut Hut” – Things you can do with a football
- Yellow Group: “Thirst quencher” – Sources of drinking water
- Blue Group: “A hook up” – Sharp fasteners
- Purple Group: “Cowabunga!” – Starts of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Solutions:
- Green (Things you can do with a football): PASS, PUNT, SNAP, SPIKE
- Yellow (Sources of drinking water): RAIN, SPRING, TAP, WELL
- Blue (Sharp fasteners): BRAD, NAIL, PIN, TACK
- Purple (Starts of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles): DON, LEO, MIC, RAP
Sunday, July 14, 2025 – Puzzle #764
Connections Hints:
- Yellow: Hues one might see at a gender-reveal party
- Green: Ways one might describe a Porsche Boxster
- Blue: A group one might include Buck _____ in
- Purple: Toons one might know from childhood
Solutions:
- Yellow (Shades of blue): BABY, ICE, POWDER, SKY
- Green (Adjectives for a sports car): COMPACT, FAST, SLEEK, SPORTY
- Blue (Words before “Roger/s”): GINGER, JOLLY, MISTER, ROY
- Purple (Disney animated characters plus a letter): ABUT, BELLED, FLOUNDERS, SCARY
Strategy Tips for Using Connections Hints
Making the Most of Connections Hints
- Analyze the hint style: Determine if it’s a direct category hint, a wordplay clue, or a cultural reference
- Start with the clearest connections hint: Usually, one of the four hints will be more obvious than the others
- Cross-reference: Use connections hints to eliminate words that don’t fit multiple potential categories
- Consider multiple meanings: A single connections hint might have layers of meaning
Advanced Connections Hints Strategies
- Cultural knowledge: Many connections hints reference pop culture, sports, or common phrases
- Word flexibility: Remember that connections hints might involve prefixes, suffixes, or compound words
- Pattern recognition: Look for connections hints that suggest sequences, rhymes, or related concepts
Common Pitfalls
- Multiple meanings: Words may fit multiple categories, but only one is correct
- Obscure references: Some purple categories can be extremely challenging, like the Ninja Turtles example
- Technical terms: Some words may be specialized vocabulary you’re unfamiliar with
When You’re Stuck
- Rearrange the board to see words in different combinations
- Focus on finding three words you’re confident about, then deduce the fourth
- Remember that being “one away” means you have three correct words in a group
The Social Aspect
Like other NYT Games, Connections has developed a strong social media presence where players share their daily results, discuss challenging categories, and compare solving strategies. The game’s difficulty progression ensures that even experienced players face genuine challenges, particularly with the purple categories that can range from moderately difficult to “borderline impossible.”
If you’re a casual player looking for a daily brain teaser or a dedicated puzzle fan, Connections offers an engaging word challenge that combines logical thinking with cultural knowledge, making each day’s puzzle a unique and rewarding experience.
