If you enjoy word games, but haven’t yet given Connections a try, let this serve as your introduction to The New York Times’ online sensation. Launched by the news outlet in June 2023, the puzzle challenges players to uncover threads connecting a series of words. It also holds the distinction of being the Times’ second-most played game after Wordle.
Should you need help in getting started, Newsweek has provided some instructions below. Clues and the answers are toward the end of the article. In Connections, players must group together words they think have common threads to reveal the name of their corresponding categories. Each puzzle consists of 16 words, with each group of words separated into four categories. The uniting themes can come from a broad range of categories, including anything from horror-movie franchises to types of sound to food.
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. Players can shuffle and rearrange the board if they want to try to make the process of guessing the connections easier.
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 the words in a group have been correctly connected.
It is worth pointing out that a word can sometimes belong to more than one category—but there is only one correct answer. Connections editor Wyna Liu, who is credited with bringing the game to life, has advised that, if you notice that there are five or more words that belong to one category, try pivoting to a different category before making your first guess.
“Doing so might take one of those extra cards out of contention, or at least remove a few cards from the board, making other categories easier to see,” Liu said. The answers for today’s Connections puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so scroll with caution if you want to work them out yourself.
'Connections' #338 Clues for Tuesday, May 14
Newsweek has some hints to help you figure out today’s Connections categories. Yellow: These words represent the early stages of an idea.
Green: For these words, think of dealing with your hunger.
Blue: These words are associated with a widely-spoken language.
Purple: Each of these answers follows a synonym for slender.
'Connections' #338 Answers for Tuesday, May 14
Yellow Category: EARLY ITERATION
Yellow Words: Draft, Outline, Plan, Sketch
Green Category: ENJOY A MEAL
Green Words: Dine, Feast, Feed, Sup
Blue Category: SPANISH PRONOUNS
Blue Words: Ella, Me, Sus, Yo
Purple Category: SLIM____
Purple Words: Fit, Jim, Pickings, Shady
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.
Corey Lewandowski's Fall From Grace: Allegations And Consequences
Kendra Wilkinson Opens Up About Her Mental Health Struggles And New Beginnings
Surviving A Grizzly Bear Attack: The Remarkable Story Of Wes Perkins
