A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #49
hints & answers for July 30, 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 30, 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 A, C, M and N. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

AUNT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

RELATIVES

Reveal all four words
  • AUNT
  • COUSIN
  • MOTHER
  • NEPHEW

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, K, Q and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DAFFY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SYNONYMS FOR OFFBEAT

Reveal all four words
  • DAFFY
  • KOOKY
  • QUIRKY
  • WACKY

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

DAISY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DISNEY DUCKS

Reveal all four words
  • DAISY
  • DEWEY
  • DONALD
  • SCROOGE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try adding the same ending to each entry.

Show one word

ALARM belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

___ CLOCK

Reveal all four words
  • ALARM
  • BIOLOGICAL
  • CUCKOO
  • GRANDFATHER

Each entry comes before "CLOCK" to form a word, expression or name: ALARM → ALARM CLOCK; BIOLOGICAL → BIOLOGICAL CLOCK; CUCKOO → CUCKOO CLOCK; GRANDFATHER → GRANDFATHER CLOCK.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: RELATIVES
  • Green: SYNONYMS FOR OFFBEAT
  • Blue: DISNEY DUCKS
  • Purple: ___ CLOCK

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

RELATIVES

AUNT · COUSIN · MOTHER · NEPHEW

Green

SYNONYMS FOR OFFBEAT

DAFFY · KOOKY · QUIRKY · WACKY

Blue

DISNEY DUCKS

DAISY · DEWEY · DONALD · SCROOGE

Purple

___ CLOCK

ALARM · BIOLOGICAL · CUCKOO · GRANDFATHER

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.