The New York Times’ daily Connections puzzle challenges players to group sixteen words into four categories of four, based on shared themes. Today’s puzzle (#903) includes a particularly tricky purple category, requiring lateral thinking to identify hidden connections within the words themselves.
Daily Puzzle Overview
The game tests vocabulary, pattern recognition, and the ability to think beyond surface-level meanings. The Times has recently introduced a Connections Bot, similar to its Wordle counterpart, allowing registered players to track their performance statistically. This adds a new layer of engagement for those who enjoy quantifying their puzzle-solving skills.
Hints for Each Category
Here’s a breakdown of hints, progressing from the easiest (yellow) to the most difficult (purple):
- Yellow: These words describe putting up with something unpleasant.
- Green: These terms all relate to a failure or disappointment.
- Blue: The connection here lies in well-known fictional pirates.
- Purple: This group requires recognizing words that sound like colors – a phonological connection rather than a semantic one.
Today’s Connections Answers
Here’s the complete solution to today’s puzzle:
- Yellow: Tolerate – The words are bear, stand, stomach, and swallow.
- Green: Flop – The words are bust, lemon, miss, and turkey.
- Blue: Fictional Pirates – The words are Hook, Luffy, Silver, and Sparrow.
- Purple: Ending in Color Homophones – The words are Cameroon (maroon), cockatiel (teal), unread (red), and whistleblew (blue).
This puzzle highlights how Connections often relies on wordplay and subtle connections rather than straightforward definitions. The purple category, in particular, demonstrates the game’s ability to challenge even experienced players with its deceptive simplicity.
