Welcome to Connections!
Connections is The New York Times' newest word puzzle sensation, and for good reason—it's brilliantly simple to understand but endlessly challenging to master. If you're new to the game, don't worry! This guide will take you from complete beginner to confident player, breaking down everything you need to know to start solving puzzles successfully.
What Is Connections?
🎯 The Basic Concept
Connections presents you with a 4×4 grid of 16 words. Your mission: group these words into 4 categories of 4 related words each. Sounds simple, right? The challenge lies in figuring out what connects certain words while avoiding the clever misdirections the puzzle creators have planted.
📝 Simple Example:
Possible categories: FRUITS (Apple, Orange, Banana, Cherry) and FURNITURE (Chair, Table, Bed, Sofa)
🌟 Key Features
Daily Puzzle
One new puzzle every day, just like Wordle or Crossword
Color-Coded
Categories are revealed in colors indicating difficulty level
Limited Mistakes
You get exactly 4 wrong guesses before game over
Shuffle Feature
Rearrange words to see new patterns and connections
Basic Rules
Select Four Words
Click on 4 words you believe belong to the same category. Selected words will be highlighted.
Submit Your Guess
Once you've selected 4 words, click "Submit" to see if they form a correct category.
Correct Guesses
If correct, the category is revealed with its theme and removed from the grid. Solved categories appear at the top in colored bars.
Wrong Guesses
Incorrect guesses cost you one of your 4 mistakes. The game tells you if you were "one away" (3 out of 4 words correct).
Win or Lose
Find all 4 categories to win! Use up all 4 mistakes and the puzzle reveals the remaining categories.
Understanding the Game Interface
🔤 Word Grid
The main 4×4 grid contains all 16 words. Words are initially arranged randomly but can be shuffled. Click words to select them (they'll turn blue/highlighted), and click again to deselect.
🎯 Control Buttons
- Shuffle: Randomly rearranges all words in the grid
- Deselect All: Clears your current selection
- Submit: Tests your selected 4-word group (only active when 4 words are selected)
❌ Mistakes Remaining
Shows dots (●●●●) representing your remaining wrong guesses. Each incorrect submission removes one dot. When all dots are gone, the game ends.
📊 Solved Categories
Appears above the word grid as you solve categories. Each solved group shows as a colored bar with the category name and the 4 words.
Understanding Difficulty Levels
Each puzzle contains categories of varying difficulty, revealed by colors when you solve them:
Yellow - Straightforward
What to expect: Clear, unambiguous categories that most people would recognize immediately.
Examples:
- Colors: RED, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW
- Animals: DOG, CAT, HORSE, COW
- Body parts: ARM, LEG, HEAD, FOOT
Green - Moderate
What to expect: Requires some specific knowledge or slightly less obvious connections.
Examples:
- Basketball positions: CENTER, GUARD, FORWARD, POINT
- Coffee drinks: LATTE, MOCHA, ESPRESSO, CAPPUCCINO
- Card games: POKER, BRIDGE, HEARTS, SPADES
Blue - Tricky
What to expect: Requires lateral thinking or recognizing less obvious patterns.
Examples:
- Things that can "break": DAWN, FAST, RECORD, SILENCE
- Words that follow "FIRE": ALARM, DRILL, TRUCK, WORKS
- Palindromes: KAYAK, LEVEL, RADAR, ROTOR
Purple - Hardest
What to expect: The most creative, abstract, or wordplay-based connections.
Examples:
- Anagram of "ACTOR": CARTO, OCTAR, TORTE, ACTOR
- First half of compound words: FIRE-, WATER-, AIR-, EARTH-
- Words spelled backwards: STAR (RATS), LOOP (POOL), DRAW (WARD), TIME (EMIT)
Your First Steps Strategy
Take a Deep Breath and Scan
Don't rush! Spend 30-60 seconds just reading through all 16 words. Let your brain naturally start noticing patterns without committing to anything yet.
Look for the Obvious First
Search for the Yellow category—the most straightforward group. Common first categories include colors, animals, foods, or other basic semantic groups.
Use the Shuffle Button
Rearranging the words can reveal new patterns your brain might have missed. Sometimes seeing words in different positions helps connections become clear.
Start with Your Most Confident Group
When you're 90% sure about a category, submit it. Solving one group makes the remaining words easier to categorize and gives you confidence.
Learn from "One Away"
If the game says "One away," you had 3 correct words and 1 wrong one. Don't just swap one word—reconsider the entire category. Sometimes the theme is slightly different than you thought.
Essential Beginner Strategies
The "Multiple Meanings" Check
Many words have several meanings. Before committing to a group, ask yourself: "Could this word mean something else?" For example, "BARK" could be a dog's sound, tree covering, or type of ship.
Process of Elimination
If you're stuck, try identifying which words definitely DON'T go together. This negative elimination often reveals positive connections you missed.
Think Beyond Literal Meanings
Advanced categories often involve wordplay, like "words that can follow 'FIRE'" (truck, drill, place, works) rather than literal fire-related things.
Trust Your First Instinct (Sometimes)
Your initial gut reaction is often right for Yellow categories, but be skeptical of it for harder groups where misdirection is common.
Take Breaks
If you're stuck, step away for a few minutes. Fresh eyes often spot connections that escaped you during intense focus.
Mental Note-Taking
Keep track of possible groups in your head: "These 4 might be animals, these 3 are definitely colors, this word could go with either group..."
Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
Jumping on the First Pattern You See
The mistake: You spot 4 words that could be related and immediately submit without considering alternatives.
Why it's wrong: Connections often includes red herring patterns designed to trick you.
The fix: Always look for at least 2 possible ways to group words before committing.
Not Using the Shuffle Feature
The mistake: Staring at the same word arrangement and getting tunnel vision.
Why it's wrong: Your brain gets stuck on the visual pattern of word positions.
The fix: Shuffle regularly—it's free and often reveals hidden connections.
Wasting Mistakes on Random Guesses
The mistake: When stuck, randomly trying combinations hoping something works.
Why it's wrong: You only get 4 mistakes, and random guessing rarely pays off.
The fix: Only submit when you have a logical reason to believe 4 words connect.
Ignoring Word Context
The mistake: Focusing only on individual word meanings without considering how they might function together.
Why it's wrong: Many categories are about relationships, not just similar meanings.
The fix: Ask "How do these words work together?" not just "What do they mean?"
Overthinking Simple Categories
The mistake: Assuming every category has a trick or complex pattern.
Why it's wrong: Yellow categories are genuinely straightforward—sometimes dogs are just dogs.
The fix: Trust obvious connections, especially early in the puzzle.
Practice Examples
🎯 Sample Beginner Puzzle
🤔 How would you approach this?
Click to see the solution and reasoning
🟨 FRUITS: APPLE, BANANA, ORANGE, CARROT
Wait! This is a trick! CARROT is a vegetable, not a fruit. This demonstrates how obvious patterns can be deceptive.
✅ Actual Categories:
- 🟨 FRUITS: APPLE, BANANA, ORANGE, (plus one more fruit not shown)
- 🟩 VEGETABLES: CARROT, BROCCOLI, SPINACH, (plus one more)
- 🟦 MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: PIANO, GUITAR, DRUMS, VIOLIN, TRUMPET (pick 4)
- 🟪 FURNITURE: CHAIR, TABLE, SOFA, DESK, BED (pick 4)
🎓 The Lesson:
This example shows that even "obvious" categories can have twists. Always double-check your assumptions, especially when a category seems too easy!
🎯 Ready to Start Playing?
Now that you know the basics, it's time to put your knowledge into practice!