Mastering <em>Connections</em>: Tips And Tricks For Success

Connections can best even the most careful players, so Newsweek has provided a few handy hints to help you get today's solution.

Launched by The New York Times in June 2023, Connections is now the news outlet's second-most-played game after Wordle. It is also word-based, but rather than figure out one word, the game challenges players to uncover the "connections" between a group of words. Players must identify the common thread between the words and select four groups of four words without making more than four mistakes.

The premise of Connections is straightforward yet engaging. Each puzzle consists of 16 words separated into four categories, with each category labeled by a color that signifies its difficulty level. Yellow is the most straightforward category, followed by green, blue, and purple. As players dive into the game, they must keep their wits about them to avoid common pitfalls.

Stock photo — Stock image of a woman using her phone. "Connections" is The New York Times' second-most-played game after "Wordle."iStock

Some words have multiple meanings and may appear to belong to multiple categories, but those aren't the only tricks players have to watch out for. According to Wyna Liu, the game's editor, “Some categories might be defined by their use of wordplay—palindromes, homophones, adding or dropping letters and words—rather than the literal meanings of the words on the cards.”

With these insights, players can prepare themselves for the challenge ahead. Below are some handy tips to help you keep your Connections winning streak—but scroll with caution if you want to figure out the answers for yourself.