Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers into different categories. It can be difficult, so read on if you need Connections tips.
What are you going to do when you’re done? Why, play some more puns of course. I also have daily Strands Hints and Answers and Quordle Hints and Answers articles if you need help with those too, while Marc’s Wordle Today page covers the original viral pun.
SPOILER ALERT: Today’s NYT Connections information is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NEW Connections today (game #861) – word of the day
Today’s NEW Connections word is…
- CRUNCHY
- FALL
- CHARGERS
- COVER
- BELLY
- MARSH
- WIG
- WASTE
- SKIRT
- JACKET
- TUMBLE
- FLIP
- BACKBONE
- DOVER
- FREAK
- WIPE OUT
NEW Connections today (game #861) – tip #1 – group tip
What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Fall over
- GREEN: Elements of a paperback
- BLUE: Types of panic
- PURPLE: Sweet things added element
Need more clues?
We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…
NEW Connections today (game #861) – tip #2 – group answer
What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: TOPS
- GREEN: PARTS OF A BOOK
- BLUE: LOSE IT, WITH “OUT”
- PURPLE: CHOCOLATE BARS PLUS A LETTER
Okay, the answers are below, so DON’T SCROLL IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NEW Connections today (game #861) – the answers
The answers to today’s Connections, game #861, are…
- YELLOW: TOPS FALL, SPILL, TUMBLE, EXPAND
- GREEN: PARTS OF A BOWK COVER, JACKET, PAGES, RUG
- BLUE: LOSE IT, WITH “OUT” BUG, FLIP, FREAK, JUMP
- PURPLE: CHOCOLATE BARS PLUS A LETTER CRUNCHY, DOVER, MARSH, SHORT
- My rating: Hard
- My score: 1 error
AUTUMN is here, and it was very tempting to associate it with LØDE and some other thin autumnal words, but it was a short-lived folly.
My mistake came in putting together a group that I imagined was all about dropping out of a situation – LAP, FLIP, TUMBLE and PLAY. After getting nowhere with that, I managed to spot the yellow/easiest group and continued without issue.
CHOCOLATE BARS are a recurring Connections category, but CHOCOLATE BARS PLUS A LETTER completely passed me by. Skor isn’t something I’ve come across in the UK where I’m based, most likely due to the Europe-conquering Dime bar, which seems to have identical teeth-destroying properties. More research on American chocolate bar is required.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections Answers (Saturday, October 18, Game #860)
- YELLOW: SLIDE BREEZE, COAST, FLEET, SKATE
- GREEN: WORDS BEFORE “BALL” IN SPORTS DODGE, HAND, PICKLE, RACKET
- BLUE: PROLIFIC ACTORS BACON, CAGE, CRUISE, FORD
- PURPLE: HOMOPHONES OF SYNONYMS FOR “TURN” CELL, HOCK, PEDAL, TRAY
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games created by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four elements that share something in common, and each group has a different degree of difficulty: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough, and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you technically don’t need to solve the last one, as you’ll be able to answer it by a process of elimination. Also, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It’s a bit more involved than something like Wordle, though, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to let you beat yourself up with tricks. For example, watch out for homophones and other puns that can hide the answers.
It can be played for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
