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NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle where players try to sort 16 words into four logical groups. The trick? The connections get sneakier, from friendly yellow to fiendish purple, as they move forward with the word connections.
Let’s understand the hints to solve the equation today.
Theme of Today: "RESTRICT"
Search for words that impede/an act of hindering or obstructing movement or action.
Think about different types of public performances or gatherings.
Consider alternative verbs that imply hinder, impede, or obstruct.
Hint: All these words are capable of being verbs that could be synonymous with impede or hinder.
Theme of Today: "TICKETED EVENTS"
Consider: Activities for fun and entertainment that usually necessitate entry tickets
Think about a show or gathering
Considering those events leading to the audience for ticket admissions
Hint: These are venues that suit entertainment and activities where an entry that will be gotten is heavily used.
Theme of Today: "ASSOCIATED WITH THE GAME "THE OREGON TRAIL"
Starting from the basic connection of elements of the classical computer game.
Consider challenges, means, or experiences in the field of this educational simulation.
Think about the given object or challenge faced by players during their virtual westward journey.
Hint: Anything fundamental for playing the economy simulation as the pioneer of the Oregon Trail.
Today's Theme: "WHAT 'FORD' MIGHT REFER TO"
These words represent some different meanings and references for "Ford."
Look for other contexts in which "Ford" appears as a name, personage, or concept.
Think of anything that can carry the Ford name, i.e., people or things.
Hint: They may belong to different industries like entertainment, transport, and journalism.
The Purple category tests your ability to identify different references to "Ford." This multi-referential approach parallels previous puzzles where these links are established through more abstract or nuanced relationships among the words rather than through straightforward synonyms.
For the Blue category about Oregon Trail game elements, apply the Functional Relationship Analysis approach from the puzzle dated 8 April 2025. The "ANTI-SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS" theme (BAH, COAL, GRINCH, NAUGHTY) required identifying words or concepts that form oppositions to Christmas cheer. Similarly, today's players need to consider specific faculties of thought which are correlated with a given cultural reference.
For the Yellow category focusing on restriction words, consider the Synonym Clustering approach from 9 April 2025. The "ROUND THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS" puzzle (BALL, GLOBE, ORB, SPHERE) showed how identifying words with related meanings creates a cohesive category. Look for names of objects that are supposed to have spherical shapes. On the other hand, seek today for verbs that mean something of limitations.
The Green category featuring ticketed events builds on the Domain Knowledge Application strategy from 10 April 2025. The "SUPPLY" theme (MINE, RESERVE, STORE, WELL) concentrated on words related to providing and storing resources. For today's puzzle, apply similar domain knowledge to identify common features of events requiring the purchase of tickets for today's puzzle.
For those who want the complete solutions to today's puzzle:
Yellow (Easiest): BLOCK, CHECK, DAM, STOP
Green (Medium): CONCERT, GAME, MOVIE, PLAY
Blue (Challenging): DYSENTERY, FORD, HUNT, OXEN
Purple (Hardest): ACTOR, CAR, DIRECTOR, PRESIDENT
Puzzle designer Wyna Liu developed Connections for the NY Times, part of the NYT Games family, in 2023. Today's Connections puzzle showcases the game's versatility in testing different types of knowledge, from basic vocabulary (restriction verbs) to cultural understanding (Oregon Trail references) to multi-dimensional word meanings (Ford references).
