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Connections: Everything You Should Know About the NYT’s Trending Word Game

Connections has rapidly emerged as one of The New York Times’ most cherished word games, joining the league of viral sensations like Wordle. The concept is straightforward yet captivating: discover the shared connection among clusters of four words. However, as time progresses, the puzzles increase in difficulty. If you’re feeling perplexed, we have tips and tactics to assist you.

Want to jump straight to today’s answer? Scroll down to the end. Prefer tackling it on your own? Continue reading for hints and suggestions.

What Is Connections?

Connections is a daily word riddle from The New York Times that has taken the internet by storm. Developed with input from associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the game invites players to categorize 16 words into four groups of four, based on a common motif.

You can enjoy Connections on your web browser or mobile device. Each day presents a new challenge, and although several words may seem to align, there is only one correct classification for every category.

When you successfully recognize a group, those words vanish from the board. But watch out—each wrong guess counts as an error, and you are permitted only four mistakes before the game concludes.

To assist in spotting patterns, players have the option to shuffle the board. Each group is color-coded to indicate difficulty: yellow being the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to Wordle, you can share your outcomes with friends through social media.

Need a breather? Explore additional games like Mahjong, Sudoku, and crosswords on Mashable’s Games hub.

Hints for Today’s Connections Categories

Looking for a gentle push in the right direction without revealing too much? Here are some subtle hints for today’s categories:

– Yellow: To recuperate
– Green: Excluding
– Blue: Used by an oracle
– Purple: Jewels

Still puzzled? Keep reading for the actual category names.

Today’s Connections Categories

Here are the official categories for today’s challenge:

– Yellow: Get better, as a broken bone
– Green: Not including
– Blue: Tarot minor Arcana suits
– Purple: Homophones of gemstones

Final Warning: Spoilers Ahead!

If you’re ready to view the answers, this is your final opportunity to turn back.

Today’s Connections #696 Solution

– Get better, as a broken bone: HEAL, KNIT, MEND, RECOVER
– Not including: BESIDES, BUT, EXCEPT, SAVE
– Tarot minor Arcana suits: CUPS, PENTACLES, SWORDS, WANDS
– Homophones of gemstones: CHORAL, OPEL, PURL, QUARTS

Didn’t solve it today? No worries—tomorrow offers a fresh challenge, and we’ll be here with more tips and solutions to aid you.

Looking for more puzzles?

– Try today’s Wordle
– Check out NYT’s The Mini crossword
– Explore the NYT Strands puzzle

And if you’re after more brain teasers, visit Mashable’s Games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords, and more.

Missed yesterday’s Connections? You can find the solution here.