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Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn’t—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they’re usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we’ve got you covered.
What Is Connections?
Connections is a game from the New York Times. The objective is simple: sort 16 words into groups of 4. Each group of words will be connected by some common idea or theme. That common element could be anything. We have seen everything from games that rely on the number of letters in the words to categories that require you to spot an extra letter at the end of the word. Sometimes they’re references to economics, other times they reference fairy tales. There is no telling what sort of association there will be between words.
Once you’re confident you understand the connection, select 4 words, then hit “Submit.” You have only four attempts in total, so don’t be too guess-happy.
Hints for Today’s Connections Categories
Here are a few small hints for the 312th Connections game to get you started:
Fleece, Girls, Parachute, Rule
How Did We Solve This Connections Game?
April 18th was a fairly straight forward game, though Purple might be a bit hard to spot.
The first category we spotted was Yellow, “Sidewalk Sights.” Curb and manhole were the first words we put together, and we looked for other related words. Grate and gutter fell into place pretty easily.
Next, we noticed the cal, gal, in, and oz were all shorthand for various units, so we stuck them in a group. Together, they were “Unit Abbreviations” (Blue).
With 8 words, left, aim, intend, mean, and plan all seemed likely to be related. They all refer to some kind of intention. They made up the Green category, which was “Have in Mind.”
Obviously the last 4 words fall into Purple, but what do fleece, girls, parachute, and rule all have in common? It wasn’t immediately obvious, but they’re all words that can go after “Golden.” Golden fleece refers to fleece from a special ram, Chrysmallos, in Greek mythology. Golden Girls was a television comedy that ran in the 1980s. A golden parachute refers to the severence packages given to senior or top executives when they retire—they’re famously very profitable. And of course, the Golden Rule refers to an ethical principle: Do unto others as you’d have done unto you. In other word, treat others how you’d want to be treated.
How Do You Guess Connections Categories?
There is no quick, reliable way to approach Connections like there is with Wordle, since Connections isn’t algorithmic. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that can help.
If you didn’t solve this one, don’t feel too bad—there’s always tomorrow! And those words may align with a topic you’re interested in, giving you a leg up on the competition.
