.png){kind=logo}
NYT Connections became an instant popular daily word game at The New York Times. Players are challenged to recognize the connections among 16 words by dividing them into four groups, with each group containing four words. Groups follow a common category or pattern.
While some are straightforward categories, others are quite complicated and demand quality thought, word association skills, and pop culture knowledge.
Yellow: Easy
Green: Moderate
Blue: Hard
Purple: Tricky or obscure
The player has four chances to be wrong, or else the game ends. This could put pressure and thought into each guess.
The puzzle for NYT Connections on July 17 had a diverse and interesting word selection:
HARD FEELINGS, MARIO WORLD, DRUM AND BASS, WU-TANG, POKE, SWEAT, CAPE COD, BIGGIE, PAC, POWER, PRY, CAMISOLE, SNOOP, GLUE, WORRIES, NOSE AROUND
Slang terms, pop culture references, musical genres, and fashion-related words. The hidden connections were not obvious, so this made the puzzle more engaging.
The day's groups were formed through layered meanings and subtle patterns. Here are the hints to the categories for today:
Yellow: Words meaning "to meddle" or "to intrude."
Green: Phrases often placed after "No..." to express reassurance.
Blue: Words that can come after the prefix "Super."
Purple: Words that end with names of fish.
These hints provided an advantage, narrowing down possible groups at a given time, especially during tricky or misleading options.
Need a quick guide? Here is a one-word clue per group:
POKE
SWEAT
GLUE
WU-TANG
Each of these words stands for the basic underlying concept behind the group.
According to the NYT Connections answers of the day:
Meddling/Intrusion
NOSE AROUND, POKE, PRY, SNOOP
Someone can use those words when referring to intruding into other persons' affairs, usually without consent. The yellow group was relatively easy for most players.
Reassurance After "No"
BIGGIE, HARD FEELINGS, SWEAT, WORRIES
These words often occur in colloquial expressions such as “No biggie” or “No sweat,” indicating everything is fine and forgiven.
Words with “Super”
GLUE, MARIO WORLD, PAC, POWER
Each word could have the word "Super" placed before it: Super Glue, Super Mario World, Super PAC, and Super Power.
Ends with a type of fish
CAMISOLE, CAPE COD, DRUM AND BASS, WU-TANG
Each word ends with a hidden fish: Sole, Cod, Bass, and Tang. This one was probably the most difficult set because the fish endings are so obscure, and the misdirection is cleverly distracting.
The NYT Connections July 17 puzzle offered a balanced difficulty curve. The yellow group stood out immediately. Words like PRY and SNOOP are commonly associated with nosy behavior. These types of connections are easier for the general audience.
The green set was slightly harder. Recognizing “No biggie” or “No worries” as common phrases required familiarity with casual English expressions.
The blue group tricked many solvers at first. With words like MARIO WORLD and PAC present, players leaned toward a gaming-related theme. However, identifying the “Super” prefix unlocked the correct set.
The purple group was particularly deceptive. Fish names like Cod, Sole, and Bass were hidden at the end of longer phrases. Without knowledge of fish species or suffix-focused thinking, this group was hard to spot.
There was also deliberate misdirection with the inclusion of rapper names like BIGGIE, PAC, WU-TANG, and SNOOP. Many assumed a music or hip-hop theme, which did not materialize.
NYT Connections Today delivered a smart mix of simple logic, pop culture, and linguistic creativity. From casual idioms to compound words and hidden fish, each group tested a different skill. This is what makes the game consistently fresh and challenging.
Today’s puzzle showcased how NYT Connections excels at combining entertainment with intellect. Players were rewarded for sharp thinking, pattern recognition, and word association.
For those who cracked the puzzle, it was a satisfying experience. For others, it was a valuable lesson in lateral thinking.
Stay tuned for NYT Connections Hints on July 18, including a new grid, new misdirections, and more crafty patterns.
