How to Play NYT Connections

Connections gives you a 4×4 grid of 16 words. Your job is to find four hidden groups of four words each. Every group shares a theme — a type of thing, a word that follows each tile, a shared prefix, or some other link that only feels obvious after you see it.

The puzzle is built to mislead you. Several words will look like they belong together when they do not. The New York Times publishes one new board every day at midnight Eastern Time; everyone solves the same grid and often shares results afterward.

Select any four words you think match, then submit. If you are correct, the category is revealed and those tiles leave the board. If you are wrong, you lose one of your four allowed mistakes and the words return. A one away message means exactly one word in your guess was wrong — a strong signal to swap a single tile instead of starting over.

Categories are always specific. You will not see vague buckets like “NOUNS” or “FOUR-LETTER WORDS.” Real examples look more like:

• FRUITS: Apple, Orange, Banana, Grape
• HAPPY ___: Birthday, New Year, Hour, Friday
• ___ BALL: Basket, Base, Foot, Pin

When a group is solved, NYT reveals it in difficulty order — yellow first, then green, blue, and purple. The colors are a hint about how tricky the editor considered each category.

• Yellow (Easiest)

  Usually the most straightforward group once you spot the theme. A solid place to start if something obvious jumps out.

• Green (Moderate)

  Logical, but not always instant. You may need a specific fact, a pop-culture reference, or a moment for the link to click.

• Blue (Harder)

  Wordplay, double meanings, and misdirection. Words land here because they look like they belong in another group.

• Purple (Hardest)

  Often a twist: fill-in-the-blank, a secondary meaning, or a pattern that hid behind easier categories all game. Save it for last.

Want real purple examples from recent puzzles? Browse our purple pattern guide or the trap words list for words that fake you out.

• Watch for connections one away feedback — three words are right, one is wrong. Swap a single tile instead of rebuilding the guess.
• Read all 16 words before you submit. One tile you skimmed can completely change how the board looks.
• Solve the group you are most confident about first — often yellow. Clearing a category removes words that were muddying other ideas.
• Think about phrases, not just categories. ROCK, POP, JAZZ, and SWING might not be music genres; they might share a word before or after each one.
• Use “one away” feedback. If three of your four words are right, keep those three and hunt for a different fourth instead of rebuilding the whole guess.
• Leave purple for last. Once yellow, green, and blue are gone, the trick category is much easier to see without burning mistakes early.

You play the real game on NYT. We are a free helper when you want practice, spoiler-light hints, or a smarter nudge — not a replacement for the puzzle.

• Practice board

  Play today’s grid on the homepage with the same one-away feedback as NYT Connections.

• Progressive hints

  Reveal category names, written nudges, or single words one step at a time — yellow through purple.

• AI solver

  Paste all 16 words for grouping help and optional AI analysis when you are truly stuck.

• Archive & guides

  Replay the last 60 puzzles, study purple patterns, and learn common trap words from real boards.