How to Play Connections

Group 16 words into 4 hidden categories before running out of mistakes. A new word puzzle every day.

Difficulty Colors

Each solved group reveals its color — easy to expert.

Yellow
Easiest
Straightforward links you'll spot first
Green
Moderate
Clear categories needing a second look
Blue
Hard
Wordplay, trivia & less obvious links
Purple
Expert
Sneaky connections that trick most players

3 Simple Steps

1

Find a Group

Look at the 16 words on the board. Pick 4 that share a hidden theme — it could be synonyms, types of food, wordplay, or pop-culture references.

POUND, OUNCE, TON, GRAM — all units of weight
2

Submit Your Guess

Select 4 words and hit Submit. If correct the group is solved and removed. If wrong you lose one of your 4 lives.

Correct → group slides away in its color. Wrong → one life gone.
3

Solve All 4 Groups

Repeat until all 4 groups are found. Solve the easiest (Yellow) first to narrow the field, then tackle harder groups.

0 mistakes = perfect score. 4 mistakes = game over.

Mistakes Allowed

4 lives
2 lives

Each wrong guess costs one life. After 4 mistakes the puzzle ends and all remaining groups are revealed.

Example Puzzle

Here are 16 shuffled words. Can you spot the 4 groups?

Bass
Drum
Mercury
Mars
Guitar
Venus
Piano
Jupiter
Saturn
Violin
Trumpet
Earth
Cello
Neptune
Sax
Uranus
Yellow — Planets
Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter
Green — String Instruments
Guitar, Violin, Cello, Bass
Blue — Brass & Wind
Trumpet, Sax, Flute, Clarinet
Purple — Also Card Games
Trump, Bridge, Snap, Rummy

Pro Tips

🟡
Solve Yellow First
The easiest group is usually obvious. Clear it to eliminate 4 words fast.
🚨
Beware Red Herrings
Some words seem to fit two groups — but each word belongs to exactly one.
💡
Use Progressive Hints
Our tiered hints nudge you without spoiling. Start with a Gentle Nudge.
📚
Practice the Archive
Thousands of past puzzles help you learn common patterns and trick categories.

Common Questions

What do the colors mean in Connections?
Yellow is easiest, Green is moderate, Blue is hard, and Purple is the trickiest. The color is revealed only after you correctly solve a group.
How many mistakes am I allowed?
You get exactly 4 mistakes. After the 4th wrong guess the game ends and all remaining groups are revealed automatically.
Can a word belong to two groups?
No. Every word belongs to exactly one group. Words that seem to fit multiple groups are deliberately placed to trick you — these are called red herrings.
What is Connection Hints?
Connection Hints provides progressive, spoiler-free hints for the daily NYT Connections puzzle so you can solve it yourself without looking up the full answer.
Is Connections the same as Wordle?
No. Connections is a word-grouping puzzle where you sort 16 words into 4 categories. Wordle is a single-word guessing game. Both are published by the New York Times.
How do I get better at Connections?
Practice daily, use progressive hints instead of jumping to answers, learn to spot red herrings, and always solve the easiest (yellow) group first to narrow your options.
NYT Connections HintsConnections RulesHow to Play ConnectionsConnections Color GuideYellow Green Blue PurpleDaily Puzzle HelpWord Group PuzzleConnections StrategyConnections TipsPuzzle Answers TodayConnections ArchiveNYT Game GuideConnections SolverWord Puzzle Tutorial

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