The New York Times daily puzzle, Connections, challenges players to group sixteen words into four categories of four. Today’s puzzle (#891) proved particularly difficult, especially the purple category. This article provides hints and full solutions for those seeking assistance.
Puzzle Breakdown: Hints by Category
The puzzle is structured with increasing difficulty from yellow to purple. Here’s a breakdown of the hints provided:
- Yellow: The clue “Ha ha!” suggests a theme related to humor.
- Green: “Think spaghetti sauce” points towards varieties of tomatoes.
- Blue: “The envelope, please” indicates a category of award winners.
- Purple: “Look for words that refer to a venue” suggests synonyms for location.
Complete Solutions
Here are the solutions to today’s Connections puzzle:
- Yellow Group (Funny Person): Clown, Joker, Laugh, Riot
- Green Group (Kinds of Tomatoes): Cherry, Grape, Plum, Roma
- Blue Group (Best Actress Oscar Winners): Berry, Madison, Stone, Swank
- Purple Group (Ending in Synonyms for “Location”): Commonplace, Needlepoint, Parasite, Sunspot
Tracking Progress with the Connections Bot
The Times has introduced a “Connections Bot” to analyze player performance. Registered users can now track stats such as puzzles completed, win rate, and streak length. This feature caters to competitive players interested in optimizing their strategy.
Historical Difficulty: Notorious Puzzles
The puzzle’s difficulty varies. Some past iterations have been notoriously challenging:
- #5: “Things you can set” (mood, record, table, volleyball)
- #4: “One in a dozen” (egg, juror, month, rose)
- #3: “Streets on screen” (Elm, Fear, Jump, Sesame)
- #2: “Power ___” (nap, plant, Ranger, trip)
- #1: “Things that can run” (candidate, faucet, mascara, nose)
These previous puzzles demonstrate a pattern of deceptive connections, requiring lateral thinking to solve.
Conclusion
Today’s Connections puzzle tested players with a combination of straightforward and obscure associations. The purple category proved especially challenging, highlighting the puzzle’s reliance on subtle linguistic cues. The Times continues to refine the game with features like the tracking bot, fostering a more data-driven approach to puzzle-solving.
