**Connections: The Newest Word Game Sensation from The New York Times**
*Connections* is the latest word game produced by the *New York Times* that has captured the attention of online gamers. Similar to *Wordle*, this game invites players to discover “common threads among words.” Every day, *Connections* resets at midnight, presenting a new puzzle that gradually increases in difficulty. If you find yourself facing obstacles, we have tips and techniques to assist you—or you can jump to the end of this article for the solution to today’s puzzle.
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### What is *Connections*?
The *New York Times* has launched *Connections* as its newest daily word challenge, quickly turning into a viral hit on social media. Developed with the assistance of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the game has become an essential part of the *Times*’ Games section. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, *Connections* requires players to organize four words that have a shared theme.
Each puzzle contains 16 words, segregated into four clusters of four. These clusters can include anything from book titles to technology companies, country names, or even varieties of stones. While some words might appear to fit several categories, only one correct grouping exists. Successfully identifying a group eliminates those words from the game board, while incorrect guesses are counted as errors. Players are permitted up to four errors before the game concludes.
To simplify gameplay, players can shuffle the board for a new arrangement of the words. The groups are color-coded to indicate difficulty: yellow (the easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to *Wordle*, players can share their outcomes on social media to compare with others.
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### Tips for Conquering *Connections*
Stuck on today’s puzzle? Here are some hints for the categories without giving away any answers:
– **Yellow:** Natural gift or ability
– **Green:** The outermost layer of something
– **Blue:** Companies from Silicon Valley
– **Purple:** Varieties of stones
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### Today’s *Connections* Categories
If you need a bit more assistance, here are today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Skill
– **Green:** Surface
– **Blue:** Technology Firms
– **Purple:** ___Stone
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### Today’s *Connections* Solution
Eager to see the answers? This is your final opportunity to step back and tackle the puzzle independently before we disclose the solution.
And now, drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s *Connections* #543 is:
– **Skill:** FLAIR, GIFT, INSTINCT, NOSE
– **Surfaces:** FACE, FRONT, OUTSIDE, SURFACE
– **Technology Firms:** AMAZON, APPLE, INTUIT, ORACLE
– **___Stone:** BRIM, LIME, RHINE, YELLOW
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### Don’t Be Disheartened if You Didn’t Solve It
If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, don’t feel disheartened. A new *Connections* puzzle will arrive tomorrow, and we’ll be here with further hints and solutions to help you out.
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### Interested in More Games?
If you enjoy puzzles, check out Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword puzzles, and beyond. And if you’re also engaged with *NYT Strands*, we’ve got [hints and solutions for today’s Strands](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-december-2) as well!
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Discover the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-december-4).
Happy puzzling!