The NYT Connections puzzle offers a daily opportunity to expand vocabulary and test word knowledge. This popular game, developed and published by The New York Times, challenges players to find hidden connections between words and group them into sets of four. Launched on June 12, 2023, for PC during beta testing, Connections quickly became the second-most-played game on the NYT platform, following Wordle. Players are presented with 16 words and must sort them into categories, ranging from easy to hard difficulty, to enhance their vocabulary skills. Hints and strategies can aid players in solving the daily puzzle. The game is a hit on social media, with users sharing their successes and strategies. Today’s hints include iconic items with two-tone contrast (Yellow), matching sticks for a task (Green), objects that spin around a center (Blue), and stick-like tools with a bent tip (Purple). The puzzle categories are: BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS, PAIRS OF RODS, THINGS THAT ROTATE ABOUT A VERTICAL AXIS, and RODS THAT CURVE AT ONE END. Correct answers for today’s puzzle include: DOMINO, PIANO KEYS, YIN-YANG SYMBOL, ZEBRA; CHOPSTICKS, CLAVES, KNITTING NEEDLES, SKI POLES; BARBER POLE, CAROUSEL, CEILING FAN, LAZY SUSAN; CANDY CANE, CROCHET HOOK, CROOK, CROWBAR. To play, players identify connections between words, using synonyms, antonyms, and word families. Players receive a new puzzle daily at midnight on the NYT website or app. Each group is color-coded, with yellow typically being the easiest, blue and green of medium difficulty, and purple the hardest. Incorrect guesses result in a loss of a life, while four mistakes lead to game over. Players can track their progress and challenge others.
