Happy Monday, and welcome back to another week of clues for NYT’s Connections from Newsweek.
After the extraordinary success of Wordle—the now classic word-based game that was purchased by The New York Times in January 2022—the newspaper decided to launch Connections in 2023.
Like Wordle, Connections has quickly developed a dedicated following around the world, with many players taking to social media daily to share their results, along with advice.
It’s not always easy, and sometimes we all need a clue. The answers for Monday’s Connections puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so please scroll down with caution if you want to work them out yourself.
How to Play Connections
Each day, Connections players are presented with 16 words, which they must group into four categories based on common characteristics.
The four categories are color-coded to indicate their difficulty, with yellow being the easiest, then green, blue, and purple. Players choose four words at a time, and if they form a valid category, those words light up and are removed from the board. The color of the category is then revealed, showing how difficult the puzzle creators expected that set of connections to be.
Jacob Wackerhausen/Getty Images
Players can make up to four incorrect guesses before the game ends. There is no time limit for completing the game.
At any point, players can shuffle the board, which will randomly reposition the 16 words.
Connections editor Wyna Liu suggests that if players have five words that seem to belong in the same category, they should try to identify a different category first. This strategy can help eliminate some words from consideration, making it easier to see other connections.
Connections #407 Clues for Monday, July 22
Newsweek has some hints to help you figure out today’s Connections categories.
- Yellow: Sectors of specialization.
- Green: Devices that generate tones, integral to many ensembles.
- Blue: Used on the road.
- Purple: Phrases relating to what we eat.
Connections #407 Answers for Monday, July 22
- Yellow Category: REALM OF EXPERTISE
- Yellow Words: AREA, DOMAIN, FIELD, SPHERE
- Green Category: MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
- Green Words: FIDDLE, HORN, RECORDER, TRIANGLE
- Blue Category: USED TO REDIRECT TRAFFIC
- Blue Words: BARRIER, CONE, FLAG, FLARE
- Purple Category: FOOD _____
- Purple Words: CHAIN, FIGHT, PROCESSOR, PYRAMID
Well, that was good fun! Did you work out the answer? If so, congratulations but please don’t be put off playing if not. Practice makes perfect and the next Connections puzzle will be published by The New York Times on Tuesday at midnight in your local time zone. Newsweek will, of course, be back once again with another round of hints and tips.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.