Connections takes the game of trying to get 16 words into 4 logically related groups of 4 words in great depth. The game's color-coded difficulty levels (yellow in easy, purple in hard) will give any player a test to find the connections between what might appear to be unrelated words.
Conceived by puzzle designer Wyna Liu for The New York Times, Connections belongs to the NYT Games family established in 2023. It hit stardom quickly for its unusual take on word association that tests lateral thinking rather than just plain vocabulary skill. The game has garnered millions of dedicated players worldwide who observe the daily ritual.
Let’s understand the hints to solve the equation today.
Look for words related to sudden desires or whims
These words all describe unpredictable behavior
Think of synonyms for "spontaneous decision"
Hint: One word is also a playful, joyful activity
These words all function similarly in sentences
Think about words that express similarity or classification
Consider how we describe things that are similar
Hint: One three-letter word is extremely common in casual speech
Focus on famous people with a specific surname
These individuals span different fields (music, sports, literature)
Look for names that might belong to the same family
Hint: Think of a very famous tennis player's last name
These are common words with pronunciation tricks
When used as proper nouns, they sound different
Consider places and names that look like everyday words
Hint: One word describes a beautiful French city when pronounced differently
Today's purple category highlights a powerful Connections strategy: identifying words that change pronunciation when used as proper nouns. Look for common words that double as names or places - like "Reading" (the activity vs. the town in England).
Blue groups often have categories involving people in a group by surname, profession, or fictional universe often yield results. This builds on strategies from the 30 March 2025 puzzle, which featured proper nouns in Broadway musical titles.
Yellow categories frequently feature synonyms. When stumped, try grouping words with similar meanings, this technique proved effective in the 31 March 2025 puzzle featuring actions related to eating or intake.
Green categories often contain functional words that serve similar purposes in language. Today's category echoes the 1 April 2025 puzzle's ways to combine or a connection in a group.
For those who want the complete solutions to today's puzzle:
Yellow (Easiest): CAPRICE
FANCY, IMPULSE, LARK, WHIM
Green (Medium): ILK
KIND, LIKE, SORT, TYPE
Blue (Challenging): WILLIAMSES
HANK, ROBIN, TENNESSEE, VENUS
Purple (Hardest): WORDS PRONOUNCED DIFFERENTLY AS PROPER NOUNS
HERB, JOB, NICE, READING
Today's Connections tests the ability to recognize symbols in contrast to words. Let these hints gently guide you in the right direction, without ruining your enjoyment of solving it.