Happy Monday, puzzle lovers! We’re back with another round of hints and solutions for today’s New York Times Connections puzzle, curated by your friends at Newsweek.
Following the widespread success of Wordle—a game that captured the hearts of millions and was subsequently acquired by the New York Times in early 2022—the newspaper introduced a new puzzle, Connections, in 2023. This puzzle has quickly become a favorite among puzzle enthusiasts, with fans across the globe eagerly sharing their daily progress and strategies on social media.
Connections can be quite the brainteaser, and sometimes a little hint is all you need to get over that tricky hump. If you’re looking for a clue, you’re in the right place. We’ve got today’s answers at the end of this article, so be cautious if you’d rather solve it independently.
How to Play Connections
Each day, Connections presents players with a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to group these words into four sets of four based on common themes or characteristics.
These groups are color-coded by difficulty level: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). When you correctly identify a group, those words will be highlighted and removed from the grid. The corresponding color will reveal how challenging the group was intended to be.
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You can make up to four incorrect guesses before the game ends, so choose carefully! There’s no time limit, so take your time and consider shuffling the board if you’re stuck—sometimes a fresh perspective can help you spot the connections more easily.
Connections editor Wyna Liu suggests that if you find five words that might fit into a category, it’s often best to try categorizing a different group first. This strategy can help you figure out where the words truly belong by process of elimination.
Connections #428 Clues for Monday, August 12
Newsweek is here with some hints to help you identify today’s Connections categories:
- Yellow: Often found in periodic tables
- Green: Choices for where you sleep.
- Blue: For when nature calls
- Purple: They cut or slash
Connections #428 Answers for Monday, August 12
- Yellow Category: Metal Elements
- Yellow words: Gold, Lead, Mercury, Tin
- Green Category: Mattress Sizes
- Green words: Full, King, Queen, Twin
- Blue Category: Slang For Toilet
- Blue words: Can, Head, John, Throne
- Purple Category: Kinds Of Knives
- Purple words: Bowie, Butcher, Butter, Butterfly
We hope this puzzle brought you a mix of challenge and enjoyment. If you managed to solve it, great job! If not, don’t stress—each day brings a new chance to sharpen your skills. The next Connections puzzle will be available from the New York Times on Tuesday, right at midnight in your local time zone. Check back with Newsweek for more tips and solutions. Happy puzzling!