Wordle fans rejoice! If solving word puzzles once a day simply isn't enough, The New York Times has unveiled a new game called Connections—and it's already a viral hit.
While the Josh Wardle-created Wordle requires players to find one word a day, Connections sets players on a mission to find common threads between a series of words.
According to the Times, Connections can be credited to associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, who helped to create the brainteaser and bring it to the news outlet's Games section.
Like Wordle, the new game—which was initially launched in its beta phase in June 2023—can be played online on web browsers and mobile devices. It is already the Times' most second-played game, behind Wordle.
How to Play 'Connections'
As previously mentioned, Connections players are required to group four different words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle consists of 16 words, with each group of words separated into four categories. The uniting themes could be anything from country names to book titles to household products—the (English) linguistic sky is the limit.
While it may seem as though multiple words could fit together, tread with caution: there is only one correct answer. If all four words are correctly placed into each set, those words will be removed from the board. Each incorrect guess counts toward the mistake tally. Players can make up to four mistakes before the game ends.
Should it make the process of guessing the connections easier, players can shuffle and rearrange the board.
The board also has a color-coding system representing levels of difficulty. Yellow represents the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. A group's color will only be revealed once they have been correctly connected.
Perhaps adding to Connections' viral appeal, players can shared their results on social media.
Now that Newsweek has warmed you up with a brief overview, it's time to jump into the action with some helpful hints, as well as the answers. The answers will be revealed at the end of this article, so please scroll down with caution if you want to work them out for yourself.
'Connections' #303 Clues for Tuesday, April 9
Newsweek has shared hints to help you figure out today's Connections categories.
Yellow: These words are associated with distance.
Green: These words are associated with haircare.
Blue: These words are associated with armorial bearings.
Purple: Each of these words come before the name of an instrument.
'Connections' #303 Answers for Tuesday, April 9
Yellow Category: BREADTH
Yellow Words: Extent, Range, Reach, Scope
Green Category: HAIR TOOLS
Green Words: Brush, Comb, Dryer, Iron
Blue Category: HERALDRY TERMS
Blue Words: Arms, Coat, Crest, Shield
Purple Category: WORDS BEFORE 'DRUM'
Purple Words: Ear, Kettle, Oil, Steel
Did you guess the answers correctly? If so, congratulations. If not, there will be another opportunity to crack the puzzle tomorrow.
Connections is released at midnight in your local time zone. Newsweek will be back with another round of hints and tips for each new game.
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.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
