For anyone unfamiliar, Connections Unlimited is a daily word puzzle from The New York Times where you’re tasked with sorting 16 words into 4 groups of 4 based on shared themes or categories. Some connections are straightforward, but others can be delightfully tricky, pushing your word association skills to the limit!
Today's puzzle presented some classic categories, but a few sneaky connections caught many players off guard. Here’s a breakdown of today’s words and their proper groupings:
Insects:
Stone Fruits:
Tools:
Metals:
If today’s puzzle gave you some trouble, don’t worry—you’re not alone! Connections can sometimes feel like it’s testing how well you think outside the box. Here are a few tips that can help you solve future puzzles more efficiently:
Start with the Obvious: Sometimes, certain words jump out at you right away. For instance, the tools in today’s puzzle (Hammer, Wrench, Screwdriver, Pliers) are fairly obvious when you spot them. Always go with the most straightforward group first to get them out of the way.
Think of Word Categories: Today’s metals (Silver, Gold, Bronze, Copper) were not just regular words but represented a category (metals) that sometimes gets reused in Connections. Once you recognize a category, you can try and fit similar words into it.
Look for Hidden Themes: The stone fruits (Nectarine, Peach, Plum, Apricot) may have been trickier. Remember that some words are related by types (like fruits, animals, or tools), so it helps to broaden your thinking to include specific subcategories.
Avoid Getting Stuck: If a certain group of words isn’t coming together, move on to another potential connection. Sometimes resetting your brain by working on a different group will give you fresh insight.
Common Connections: As you play more, you’ll notice NYT Connections frequently revisits categories like animals, tools, or colors. Familiarity with these can help you spot them quickly in future puzzles.
The NYT Connections puzzle for October 06, 2024 was a great combination of everyday categories (like tools and metals) mixed with a more specific one like stone fruits. The insect group was probably the easiest today, but the stone fruits might have thrown a few players off.
