The New York Times’ Connections puzzle, presented today through The Athletic, challenged players with a sports-themed grid. As with previous editions, the goal is to group sixteen words into four categories of four, testing both vocabulary and associative thinking. Here’s a breakdown of today’s solution, from the easiest to the most difficult groupings.
The Puzzle Format
Connections is a daily word puzzle where players must identify four groups of four words linked by a common theme. The difficulty varies, often requiring lateral thinking and knowledge of niche topics. Today’s edition proved especially tricky for some, as many terms could fit multiple categories.
Today’s Groups
The puzzle was structured as follows:
- Yellow (Easiest): The theme was “things with wheels.” The correct answers were bicycle, golf cart, skateboard, and Zamboni.
- Green: The theme was “things with blades.” The four words were epee, hockey stick, ice skate, and sabre.
- Blue: The theme was “French Olympic hosts.” The correct answers were Albertville, Chamonix, Grenoble, and Paris.
- Purple (Hardest): The theme was “NHL head coaches.” The four words were Brind’Amour, Maurice, Ruff, and St. Louis.
Why This Matters
The Connections puzzle, while seemingly trivial, highlights the power of associative thinking. It forces players to move beyond simple definitions and consider broader relationships between concepts. This skill is valuable in problem-solving and creative thinking, making the game more than just a time-waster. The integration with The Athletic also suggests a broader push by The Times to leverage its sports coverage across multiple platforms.
The difficulty of today’s edition underscores how even simple word puzzles can challenge cognitive flexibility. Players who approached the puzzle with rigid definitions struggled, while those who embraced ambiguity and explored multiple connections were more likely to succeed.
