A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #52
hints & answers for August 2, 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 August 2, 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 K, M, M and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

KEYBOARD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

COMPUTER EQUIPMENT

Reveal all four words
  • KEYBOARD
  • MONITOR
  • MOUSE
  • SPEAKER

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with G, H, R and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

GERBIL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

RODENTS

Reveal all four words
  • GERBIL
  • HAMSTER
  • RAT
  • VOLE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
Gentle hint

Each could have a part to play in a performance.

Show one word

HARP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Reveal all four words
  • HARP
  • HORN
  • ORGAN
  • TRIANGLE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CARP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SYNONYMS FOR COMPLAIN

Reveal all four words
  • CARP
  • GRIPE
  • GROUSE
  • MOAN
Show categories only
  • Yellow: COMPUTER EQUIPMENT
  • Green: RODENTS
  • Blue: MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
  • Purple: SYNONYMS FOR COMPLAIN

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

COMPUTER EQUIPMENT

KEYBOARD · MONITOR · MOUSE · SPEAKER

Green

RODENTS

GERBIL · HAMSTER · RAT · VOLE

Blue

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

HARP · HORN · ORGAN · TRIANGLE

Purple

SYNONYMS FOR COMPLAIN

CARP · GRIPE · GROUSE · MOAN

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.