Understanding the Color Groups in NYT Connections

One of the most distinctive features of the NYT Connections puzzle is its color-coded difficulty system. Each puzzle contains four groups of words, and each group is assigned a color that indicates its difficulty level. This guide explores each color category and offers strategies for solving them.

The Color Hierarchy

Connections uses four colors to indicate difficulty:

Yellow - Easiest
Green - Easy-to-Medium
Blue - Medium-to-Hard
Purple - Hardest

Let's explore each color in detail.

Yellow: The Starting Point

The defining characteristic of the Yellow category is its unambiguity. The connection between the four words is almost always direct, concrete, and relies on common, shared knowledge. There is little to no wordplay, misdirection, or need for lateral thinking. It is the "What you see is what you get" category.

The historical data reveals several recurring structural patterns for Yellow groups. These can be broken down as follows:

1. The Definitive List: Concrete Nouns

This is the most frequent and classic Yellow pattern. It's a simple, categorical list of tangible items. The category name is often the plural noun that describes the group.

Sub-pattern: Everyday Objects:

FOOTWEAR: BOOT, LOAFER, PUMP, SNEAKER
FRUIT: DATE, KIWI, LEMON, ORANGE
FABRICS: CORDUROY, DENIM, LINEN, TWEED
HATS: BERET, BOWLER, FEDORA, FEZ
PIECES OF FURNITURE: BED, CHAIR, COUCH, TABLE

Sub-pattern: Types of Animals/Plants:

DOG BREEDS: BOXER, DALMATIAN, HUSKY, POODLE
TREES: ASH, CEDAR, MAPLE, PINE
SNAKES: BOA, MAMBA, PYTHON, VIPER
FLOWERS: DAISY, ROSE, TULIP, VIOLET

2. The Definitive List: Proper Nouns

A close cousin to the first pattern, this involves lists of specific, well-known brand names, places, or characters. It tests common cultural knowledge rather than vocabulary.

Brands/Companies:

SNEAKER BRANDS: ADIDAS, NIKE, PUMA, REEBOK
STREAMING SERVICES: HULU, NETFLIX, PEACOCK, PRIME
AIRLINES: FRONTIER, SPIRIT, UNITED, VIRGIN
TECH COMPANIES: ALPHABET, AMAZON, APPLE, META

Fictional Characters/Places:

SEVEN DWARFS: BASHFUL, DOC, GRUMPY, HAPPY
MONOPOLY SQUARES: BOARDWALK, CHANCE, GO, JAIL
ROOMS IN THE GAME CLUE: HALL, LIBRARY, LOUNGE, STUDY

3. Synonyms & Closely Related Terms

These groups consist of four words that mean the same thing or describe the same concept. The category title is often the shared meaning itself.

Direct Synonyms:

SYNONYMS FOR ANGRY: FURIOUS, INCENSED, IRATE, LIVID
FRIEND: BUD, CHUM, MATE, PAL
ENORMOUS: BIG, GIANT, GREAT, HUGE
MERRIMENT: CHEER, GLEE, FESTIVITY, MIRTH

Informal/Slang Synonyms:

"GROSS!": EW, ICK, PU, UGH
DEPART QUICKLY: BOOK, BOUNCE, RUN, SPLIT
PLAYFULLY BOTHER: JOSH, KID, RIB, TEASE

4. "Parts of a Whole"

This pattern groups together components of a larger, well-known object or system. It's a highly concrete and intuitive connection. Anatomy:

FACIAL FEATURES: CHEEK, EYE, MOUTH, NOSE
LEG PARTS: ANKLE, KNEE, SHIN, THIGH
EYE PARTS: IRIS, LENS, PUPIL, RETINA
FOOT PARTS: ARCH, BALL, SOLE, TOE

Objects/Systems:

SHOE PARTS: HEEL, LACE, SOLE, TONGUE
PARTS OF A CAR: BUMPER, HOOD, TIRE, TRUNK
WEB BROWSER-RELATED: BOOKMARK, HISTORY, TAB, WINDOW

5. Verbs with a Shared Theme

These groups are composed entirely of verbs that describe a similar type of action.

Examples:

FASTENING VERBS: BUCKLE, BUTTON, SNAP, ZIP
MOVE THROUGH THE AIR: FLOAT, FLY, GLIDE, SOAR
MAKE SHORTER: CLIP, CUT, PARE, TRIM
HIT HARD: BANG, HAMMER, POUND, SLAM

6. Specific Shared Attribute / "Fill-in-the-Blank"

This is a slightly more creative but still very direct pattern where all words share a specific, common characteristic or complete a well-known phrase.

Shared Quality:

OFF-WHITE SHADES: CREAM, EGGSHELL, IVORY, VANILLA
BLACK-AND-WHITE ANIMALS: ORCA, PANDA, SKUNK, ZEBRA
THINGS THAT ARE ORANGE: BASKETBALL, CARROT, GOLDFISH, PUMPKIN

Fill-in-the-Blank or Set Lists:

B.L.T. INGREDIENTS: BREAD, BACON, LETTUCE, TOMATO
"LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY!": BEARS, LIONS, OH MY, TIGERS
HOMOPHONES: BI, BUY, BY, BYE
YELLOW ___: CAB, JACKET, JOURNALISM, PAGES

Yellow Word & Category Title Characteristics

Vocabulary Level: The words themselves are common and easily understood. There is a near-total absence of obscure, academic, or technical language. Even longer words (e.g., CAPPUCCINO, BACKGAMMON) are part of everyday culture.
Part of Speech Consistency: Within a single group, the words are almost always the same part of speech (all nouns, all verbs, all adjectives). This consistency is a hallmark of the Yellow category's straightforward nature.
Category Title Phrasing: The answer fields are extremely descriptive and leave no room for interpretation. They often explicitly name the category (e.g., "DOG BREEDS," "SNEAKER BRANDS") or use simple, clear language ("PARTS OF A CAR," "MOVE QUICKLY").

What Makes a Group "Yellow"

Low Ambiguity: There is one, and only one, overwhelmingly obvious connection. The player does not need to consider double meanings or metaphorical interpretations.
Reliance on Common Knowledge: The puzzles test what an average person is likely to know from daily life, pop culture, or elementary education (e.g., states of matter, Monopoly, major brands).
Concreteness: The concepts are overwhelmingly tangible and easy to visualize. Body parts, animals, foods, and household objects are frequent topics.
Minimal Red Herrings: The four words in a Yellow group are chosen to fit together tightly, with few strong connections to words outside their group, making them easier to spot and solve first.

In conclusion, the Yellow category is the bedrock of the Connections puzzle. It is designed to be a solvable and satisfying entry point, built on clear, unambiguous patterns of concrete lists, synonyms, and parts of a whole, all using common, everyday language.

Green: The Next Step Up

The Green category is where the NYT Connections puzzle begins to show its cleverness. While the connections are still largely based on shared meaning or attributes, the Green group introduces the crucial element of misdirection.

The primary mechanism for this is using words with multiple common meanings, where one meaning fits the Green category and another meaning is a tempting red herring designed to lead you astray, often toward a fake "Yellow" group.

The Green group builds upon the foundations of the Yellow category but adds a layer of subtlety.

1. The Categorical List with a Twist (Ambiguity)

This is the most common Green pattern. At first glance, it looks like a straightforward Yellow list (e.g., "Types of X"). The difficulty, however, comes from the specific word choices. Many of the words have a more common, alternative meaning that could fit into another potential category.

Sub-pattern: Words That Are Also Names/Other Categories:

COUNTRIES: CHAD, GEORGIA, JORDAN, TOGO. (Common names: Chad, Georgia, Jordan; TOGO can be misread as "to-go").
FASHION MAGAZINES: ALLURE, ELLE, GLAMOUR, W. (ALLURE and GLAMOUR are also abstract nouns; W is a letter).
SODA BRANDS: CRUSH, MUG, SPRITE, SQUIRT. (Verbs: crush, squirt; Nouns: mug, sprite).

Sub-pattern: Words with Multiple Common Meanings:

PASTA SHAPES: BOWTIE, ELBOW, SHELL, SPIRAL. (These are also clothing, body parts, and shapes).
NBA TEAMS: BUCKS, HEAT, JAZZ, NETS. (BUCKS is money, HEAT is temperature, JAZZ is music, NETS are objects). This is a classic example of a group that is very easy once you see it, but the individual words are designed to pull you in different directions.
DOG COMMANDS: DOWN, HEEL, SHAKE, SPEAK. (DOWN is a direction, HEEL is a shoe part, SHAKE can be a drink or action).

2. Wordplay and Structural Connections

This is a significant step up from Yellow. These categories are not about the meaning of the words themselves, but about their structure, spelling, or how they are used in phrases.

Linguistic Properties:

WORDS WITH THREE G'S: BAGGAGE, EGGNOG, GIGGLE, LEGGINGS.
ENDING IN A SILENT "T": BOUQUET, PARFAIT, RAGOUT, RAPPORT.
ANAGRAMS: EVIL, LIVE, VEIL, VILE.
PALINDROMES: ABBA, KAYAK, NUN, STATS.

"Fill-in-the-Blank" or Adjoining Words: This pattern requires the player to recognize that each word can be preceded or followed by the same word or phrase.

GREEN ___: BERET, GOBLIN, SALAD, THUMB.
MOUNT ___: FUJI, HOOD, OLYMPUS, WHITNEY.
WIN + LETTER: WIND, WINE, WING, WINK.
___ BUSTER: BUB, BUD, JACK, MAN.

3. More Nuanced Concepts & Synonyms

While Yellow has direct synonyms, Green groups often involve more abstract concepts or verbs/adjectives with finer distinctions. The connection is less about a simple list and more about a shared, sophisticated idea.

Abstract Concepts:

TALENT: FACULTY, FLAIR, GENIUS, GIFT.
INFLUENCE: CLOUT, PULL, SWAY, WEIGHT.
NONSENSE: BALONEY, BUNK, CROCK, TRIPE.
CADENCE: BEAT, METER, RHYTHM, TIME.

Descriptive Verbs/Adjectives:

EAT VORACIOUSLY: GORGE, GULP, SCARF, WOLF. (More descriptive than just "SYNONYMS FOR EAT").
FLEXIBLE: ELASTIC, LIMBER, PLASTIC, SUPPLE.
CLOSE-FITTING: CLINGY, SLEEK, SLINKY, SNUG.

4. Specific Cultural Knowledge

These categories require a specific piece of trivia or knowledge about a particular subject, book, or cultural phenomenon. If you have the knowledge, it's easy. If you don't, it's very difficult. This variability is a key part of the "Easy-to-Medium" range.

Pop Culture & History:

ELEMENTS OF COOKING, PER SAMIN NOSRAT: SALT, FAT, ACID, HEAT.
HITCHCOCK MOVIES: BIRDS, NOTORIOUS, REBECCA, ROPE.
SANTA'S REINDEER: COMET, CUPID, DASHER, VIXEN.
ZODIAC SYMBOLS: BULL, CRAB, SCALES, TWINS.

Green Word & Category Title Characteristics

Vocabulary Level: The words are still generally common, but their secondary or tertiary meanings are often the key to the puzzle's misdirection.
Part of Speech Consistency: This is often maintained (e.g., all nouns, all verbs), but the trick is that a noun in the category might also be a common verb (e.g., CRUSH, MUG).
Category Title Phrasing: Green titles are often more interpretive and descriptive than Yellow titles. Instead of just "AWARDS," you might get "ASSURE, AS A WIN" or "LEAVE HIGH AND DRY." They often describe the relationship between the words, not just the name of the set.

What Makes a Group "Green" (vs. Yellow)

Intentional Ambiguity: This is the biggest difference. Green words are specifically chosen for their double meanings to create plausible (but incorrect) groupings. A Yellow word like "ORANGE" might also be a color, but a Green word like HEAT (NBA team) can also be a state of matter, a cooking term, or a component of the Samin Nosrat category.
**Introduction of Wordplay••: The emergence of structural categories (anagrams, palindromes, shared letters) is a clear step up in abstract thinking from the concrete lists of Yellow.
Slightly More Abstract Concepts: Green moves beyond tangible objects into concepts like TALENT, INFLUENCE, and CADENCE.
Requirement for Specific Knowledge: Green categories can sometimes act as a "knowledge gate," testing familiarity with a specific movie director, a book, or a niche topic, which is less common in the universally accessible Yellow groups.

In essence, if Yellow is about straightforward recognition, Green is about recognition despite distraction. It's the puzzle's first real test of a player's ability to see past the obvious and find the more subtle, intended connection.

Blue: The Challenge Rises

The Blue category is designed to be tricky. Its primary function is to hide a connection in plain sight by using words that seem completely unrelated or by establishing a theme that is one level of abstraction away from the words themselves.

While Green uses words with multiple meanings to create red herrings, Blue often uses words that only make sense together once you discover the hidden "key" or concept. Solving a Blue group often produces an "A-ha!" moment of discovery.

The Blue category is defined by its cleverness and its demand for more flexible thinking. Here are the dominant patterns:

1. The Cross-Categorical Conundrum (Advanced Misdirection)

This is the quintessential Blue pattern and an evolution of the Green "ambiguity" theme. The words in the group are not just ambiguous; they are often strong, well-known members of other distinct categories.

The true connection is an entirely different, less obvious property that they all share. The puzzle's challenge is to ignore the more obvious (but incorrect) groupings.

Sub-pattern: Words from Different Semantic Fields:

RAPPERS: COMMON, FUTURE, ICE CUBE, Q-TIP. (An adjective, a noun about time, and two common objects).
UNIVERSITIES: BROWN, DUKE, HOWARD, RICE. (A color, a royal title, a common name, and a food).
BIRDS: CRANE, JAY, SWALLOW, TURKEY. (A machine, a letter/name, a verb, and a country).

Sub-pattern: Proper Nouns Disguised as Common Words:

HONDAS: ACCORD, CIVIC, PASSPORT, PILOT. (An agreement, an adjective, a travel document, and a profession).
MAGAZINES: ESSENCE, PEOPLE, TIME, US. (An abstract quality, a group of humans, a concept, and a pronoun).

2. The Conceptual Link: "Things That..."

This is a very common and difficult Blue pattern. The connection is not an inherent property of the nouns themselves, but an external action, association, or description that applies to all of them.

The category title often starts with "THINGS THAT..." or "THINGS YOU CAN..."

Shared Action/Property:

THINGS YOU CAN CRACK: EGG, KNUCKLES, SMILE, WINDOW. (The words themselves have no direct link).
THINGS WITH TEETH: COMB, GEAR, SAW, ZIPPER.
HAIL SIZE COMPARISONS: BASEBALL, GRAPEFRUIT, MARBLE, PEA. (The link is a very specific, idiomatic use).
THINGS THAT ARE SLIPPERY: BANANA PEEL, EEL, GREASE, ICE.

Shared Association with a Concept:

ASSOCIATED WITH POPEYE: ANCHOR, FOREARM, PIPE, SPINACH.
ASSOCIATED WITH "DOVE": CHOCOLATE, PEACE, PIGEON, SOAP. (Relies on knowing the Dove brand, the symbol of peace, and the bird).
SEEN ON A U.S. DOLLAR BILL: EAGLE, PYRAMID, SEAL, WASHINGTON.

3. Advanced Wordplay and Linguistic Tricks

Blue takes the linguistic patterns of Green and adds layers of complexity.

It's not just about how the words are spelled, but how they sound, how they can be abbreviated, or how they function grammatically in non-obvious ways.

Homophones & Homonyms:

ANIMAL HOMOPHONES: BARE, DEAR, MOUSSE, NEW. (Bear, Deer, Moose, Gnu).
HOMOPHONES OF GREEK LETTERS: MOO, NEW, PIE, ROW. (Mu, Nu, Pi, Rho).
HETERONYMS: BASS, DOVE, DESERT, WIND. (Words spelled the same but pronounced differently).

Structural Manipulation:

"WILL" CONTRACTIONS WITHOUT THE APOSTROPHE: HELL, ILL, SHELL, WELL. (He'll, I'll, She'll, We'll). This requires significant mental gymnastics.
MOVIES WITH "S" REMOVED: CAR, GOODFELLA, JAW, SWINGER. (Cars, Goodfellas, Jaws, Swingers).

4. Niche Knowledge Categories

Like Green, Blue uses categories that require specific cultural knowledge. However, the knowledge required for Blue is often more specialized, relating to subgenres, specific movie casts, or granular details within a topic.

Examples:

LUCKY CHARMS MARSHMALLOWS: CLOVER, HORSESHOE, MOON, RAINBOW.
"BATMAN" VILLAINS: BANE, JOKER, PENGUIN, SCARECROW.
MAHJONG TILES: BAMBOO, DRAGON, SEASON, WIND.
LEADERS WHO RECEIVED THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: CARTER, GORE, KING, TUTU.

What Makes a Group "Blue" (vs. Green)

Conceptual Leap: This is the defining feature. Green puzzles can often be solved by identifying a straightforward category that happens to use tricky words. Blue puzzles often require you to abandon the words' primary meanings entirely and find a new, abstract framework that unites them (e.g., "Things you can crack").
Multi-Layered Misdirection: The words in a Blue group are chosen to create multiple strong, but incorrect, potential groupings. A word like BASS could be a fish (Yellow), a musical instrument (Green), or part of a heteronym group (Blue). The puzzle is designed to make you second-guess your initial instincts.
The "Hidden Verb" or "Hidden Adjective": Many Blue categories are defined by a verb that can be applied to all four nouns (THINGS TO CLIMB) or an adjective that describes them (THINGS THAT ARE SLIPPERY). This is a higher level of abstraction than a simple noun category.
Specialized Trivia: While Green might test knowledge of "Hitchcock Movies," Blue might test knowledge of "M. Night Shyamalan Movies" or "Best Picture Winners Since 2000," requiring a more specific and often more contemporary knowledge base.

In summary, the Blue category is the puzzle's intellectual core. It challenges the player to move beyond simple categorization and look for creative, abstract, and often "sideways" connections. Success with the Blue group is less about vocabulary and more about cognitive flexibility and the ability to see patterns where none are immediately obvious.

Purple: The Ultimate Challenge

The philosophy of the Purple category is lateral thinking and rule-breaking.

It intentionally subverts the player's expectations. While Yellow, Green, and Blue groups are primarily about the meaning or properties of the words, Purple groups are often about the structure of the words themselves—their spelling, their sound, or how they fit into a linguistic formula. If Blue is about making a conceptual leap, Purple is about discovering a hidden game or gimmick that the puzzle creator has built.

The Purple category is defined by its cleverness and often playful deception. The patterns are almost always meta-linguistic or based on an external, non-obvious framework.

1. The "Fill-in-the-Blank" Formula

This is the most common and iconic Purple pattern. The four words in the group do not relate to each other directly. Instead, they can all be preceded or followed by the same word or symbol to form a set of well-known phrases, names, or items.

Sub-pattern: ___ X (Word Before):

___ MAN SUPERHEROES: BAT, IRON, SPIDER, SUPER
___ CLOCK: ALARM, BIOLOGICAL, CUCKOO, GRANDFATHER
___ TALE: FAIRY, FISH, FOLK, TALL
___ CHAIN: DAISY, FOOD, MOUNTAIN, SUPPLY

Sub-pattern: X ___ (Word After):

JACK ___: ASS, KNIFE, POT, RABBIT
SOUND ___: ASLEEP, BARRIER, BITE, WAVE
FAT ___: CAT, CHANCE, LIP, TUESDAY
SECOND ___: FIDDLE, GUESS, NATURE, WIND

2. The Word Manipulation & Structural Trick Category

This is where Purple truly shines. The connection has nothing to do with the words' meanings and everything to do with how they are constructed, spelled, or can be altered.

Linguistic Properties:

PALINDROMES: KAYAK, LEVEL, MOM, RACE CAR
CONSECUTIVE DOUBLE LETTERS: BALLOON, BASSOON, COFFEE, FRICASSEE
WORDS SPELLED WITH ROMAN NUMERALS: DILL, LIVID, MILD, MIX
READS THE SAME ROTATED 180°: 96, MOW, NOON, SIS

Hidden Transformations (Add/Remove/Change a letter):

ANIMALS BACKWARD: DRIB, FLOW, REED, TANG (Bird, Wolf, Deer, Gnat)
BAND NAMES MINUS NUMBERS: BLINK, MAROON, SUM, U (Blink-182, Maroon 5, Sum 41, U2)
COLORS MINUS THEIR FIRST LETTERS: INK, LACK, OLD, RANGE (Pink, Black, Gold, Orange)
COUNTRIES WHEN "A" IS ADDED: CHIN, CUB, MALT, TONG (China, Cuba, Malta, Tonga)

3. The Homophone Category

While homophones appear in other groups, Purple takes them to the next level by using more obscure words, names, or multi-word sounds. Examples:

LETTER HOMOPHONES: ARE (R), QUEUE (Q), SEA (C), WHY (Y)
PHILOSOPHER HOMOPHONES: LOCK (Locke), MARKS (Marx), PANE (Paine), RUSTLE (Russell)
COMPLAINT HOMOPHONES: GROWN (Groan), MOWN (Moan), WHALE (Wail), WINE (Whine)
HOMOPHONES OF BODIES OF WATER: BAE (Bay), CREAK (Creek), SEE (Sea), STRAIGHT (Strait)

4. The "Cross-Context" Conundrum

This pattern, also seen in Blue, is elevated in Purple. The four words are completely unrelated tangible or abstract things, but they are all linked by one incredibly specific, often surprising, context.

Examples:

THINGS WITH KEYS: CRYPTOGRAPHY, FLORIDA, LOCKSMITH, PIANO (A concept, a place, a person, an object).
THINGS WITH LINKS: CHAIN, GOLF COURSE, SAUSAGE, WEBSITE.
MEASURED IN DEGREES: ANGLE, CRIME, EDUCATION, TEMPERATURE.
ASSOCIATED WITH #2: DEPUTY, DEREK JETER, PENCIL, SILVER MEDAL.

What Makes a Group "Purple" (vs. Blue)

The Rule is External: The core difference is that the logic for a Purple group often exists outside the words themselves. It's a formula (X ___), a structural rule (palindromes), or a word-manipulation game (remove a letter). Blue categories are generally about finding a hidden shared property of the words as they are.
Meta-Linguistic Focus: Purple frequently focuses on the words as words—their spelling, their sound, their component letters—rather than the concepts they represent. This is the ultimate form of lateral thinking in Connections.
The "Gimmick": Purple categories often feel like a clever gimmick or a pun. Discovering the connection often elicits a groan or a laugh, as you realize you've been "tricked" in a fun way. For example, ANIMALS BACKWARD is a pure gimmick.
Often the "Leftovers": Sometimes, a Purple group is simply the four most disparate words on the board. Its difficulty comes from the fact that its words are chosen because they have zero overlap with each other or any other group, forcing the player to find the only, highly obscure, connection that could possibly unite them.
Extreme Specificity: Purple trivia categories are often incredibly specific, combining multiple concepts. For instance, MEMBERS OF A TRIO requires you to know three separate trios (Three Amigos, Three Stooges, etc.) and recognize that one member from each is present. WORDS MISSPELLED IN NU METAL BAND NAMES is another example of extreme niche knowledge.

Purple Group: Word & Category Title Characteristics

Word Characteristics: The words are often simple, common, and seemingly random (MOM, BAT, SEA, ARE). Their simplicity is the ultimate camouflage. They are selected to be red herrings for easier categories or to appear so unrelated that the player is stumped.
Category Title Characteristics: Purple titles are instructional and revelatory. They don't just describe a set; they explain the hidden rule or gimmick the player just uncovered. Examples like ___ MAN SUPERHEROES, PALINDROMES, ANIMALS BACKWARD, and BAND NAMES MINUS NUMBERS are not descriptions of meaning but explanations of the puzzle's mechanics. The title is the "answer to the riddle."

In summary, the Purple category is the game's final boss. It rewards creativity, pun-appreciation, and the ability to abandon all preconceived notions about how words should be related. It's not about what the words mean, but about the hidden game they're playing.

General Strategies Across Color Groups

1. Start with the Obvious: Hunt for the Yellow Group First

This is the most crucial starting strategy. The Yellow group is designed to be the most straightforward. Finding and solving it first accomplishes two key things:

It builds confidence and gives you a foothold in the puzzle.
It reduces the number of words on the board from 16 to 12, significantly simplifying the remaining puzzle by removing potential red herrings.

How to find Yellow:

Look for definitive categories: Scan for 4-5 words that are all types of something concrete (e.g., fruits, animals, clothing, car parts).
Look for direct synonyms: Are there four words that mean almost the exact same thing (e.g., "HAPPY," "JOYFUL," "ELATED," "GLAD")?
Don't overthink it: If a connection seems immediately obvious, it's very likely the Yellow group. Trust your initial instinct on simple groupings.

2. Identify and Isolate Potential Red Herrings

The puzzle is built on misdirection. Words are often chosen because they fit into multiple potential categories. A key skill is to spot these overlaps and be cautious.

The "Five-Word Group" Trap: If you find a perfect category with five words, you've found the puzzle's central trap. One of those five words belongs to a different, trickier group. Step back and reconsider all five words. Which one could have a second, less obvious meaning?

Example: You see APPLE, BANANA, ORANGE, PEAR, and BLACKBERRY. The first four are fruits. BLACKBERRY, however, is also a brand of phone. This is a clue that one of the groups might be "FRUITS" and another "TECH BRANDS."

Cross-Categorical Words: Always be suspicious of words with common double meanings.

Example: TURKEY (bird vs. country), PUMA (animal vs. brand), CHIP (food vs. electronic component). When you see these, mentally tag them as high-priority candidates for Green or Blue groups.

3. Shift Your Thinking: From Concrete to Abstract

If you're stuck after finding the Yellow group, you need to change your approach. The remaining connections are likely less about direct meaning and more about concepts or wordplay.

Move from "What are these?" to "What do these have in common?":

Yellow/Green: "These are all FISH."

Blue/Purple: "These are all THINGS WITH TEETH" (COMB, GEAR, SAW, ZIPPER). The words themselves aren't related, but the concept connects them.

Consider the "Fill-in-the-Blank" Pattern: This is the most common trick for Blue and Purple groups. Mentally test common words or phrases before or after the remaining words.

Example: You're left with CHAIR, FIDDLE, GUESS, WIND. Can a word go before them? No. Can a word go after them? SECOND CHAIR, SECOND FIDDLE, SECOND GUESS, SECOND WIND. The category is SECOND ___.

4. Analyze the Words Themselves (The Purple Hunt)

When all else fails and you're left with four seemingly random words, the connection is almost certainly linguistic or structural. Stop thinking about what the words mean and start looking at the words as objects.

Check for Wordplay:

Homophones: Do they sound like other words? (DEAR -> deer)
Anagrams: Can they be rearranged to spell each other? (LEAST, STALE, SLATE)
Palindromes: Do they read the same backward and forward? (LEVEL, KAYAK)
Hidden Words: Do they contain other words? (BASSINET contains "BASS," ORGANISM contains "ORGAN").
Letter Addition/Subtraction: Does adding or removing a letter reveal a pattern? (e.g., "BAND NAMES MINUS NUMBERS": BLINK, MAROON, SUM, U).

5. Use the "Process of Elimination" Strategy

Solving one group makes the others easier. Once you have two or three groups solved, the final group is given to you. Use this to your advantage.

The "Leftovers" Clue: If you have eight words left and you are confident about one 4-word group, submit it. The remaining four words must be the final group, even if you don't understand the connection.
Work Backwards: After the puzzle is solved, always take a moment to understand the logic of the groups you didn't solve yourself. This is the best way to train your brain to recognize these patterns in future puzzles. Why was that group Purple? What was the trick? This builds your mental toolkit.

6. When in Doubt, Shuffle

The "Shuffle" button is your best friend when you're stuck. It rearranges the words on the board, breaking up mental blocks and potentially placing words from the same category next to each other by chance, which can help you spot a hidden connection.

Use it liberally whenever you feel you're hitting a wall. By combining these strategies—starting simple, identifying misdirection, escalating from concrete to abstract thinking, and analyzing the words structurally—players can develop a robust methodology for tackling the NYT Connections puzzle every day.

Whether you're a newcomer or a seasoned solver, understanding these color group patterns can transform your Connections experience. Keep practicing, stay curious, and don't be afraid to think outside the box. Happy connecting!