A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #48
hints & answers for July 29, 2023

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows July 29, 2023. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, D, L and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CORDUROY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FABRICS

Reveal all four words
  • CORDUROY
  • DENIM
  • LINEN
  • TWEED

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with G, P, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

GHOST belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

APPARITIONS

Reveal all four words
  • GHOST
  • PHANTOM
  • SPECTER
  • SPIRIT

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with N, P, R and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

NEEDLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SYNONYMS FOR BOTHER

Reveal all four words
  • NEEDLE
  • POKE
  • RIB
  • TEASE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Gentle hint

Think of familiar faces from animated films.

Show one word

BEAST belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DISNEY CHARACTERS

Reveal all four words
  • BEAST
  • GENIE
  • SCAR
  • STITCH
Show categories only
  • Yellow: FABRICS
  • Green: APPARITIONS
  • Blue: SYNONYMS FOR BOTHER
  • Purple: DISNEY CHARACTERS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

FABRICS

CORDUROY · DENIM · LINEN · TWEED

Green

APPARITIONS

GHOST · PHANTOM · SPECTER · SPIRIT

Blue

SYNONYMS FOR BOTHER

NEEDLE · POKE · RIB · TEASE

Purple

DISNEY CHARACTERS

BEAST · GENIE · SCAR · STITCH

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.