A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #80
hints & answers for August 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 August 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 S, S, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

SANDBOX belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PLAYGROUND FIXTURES

Reveal all four words
  • SANDBOX
  • SEESAW
  • SLIDE
  • SWING

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
Gentle hint

Have a say in how something turns out.

Show one word

CLOUT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

INFLUENCE

Reveal all four words
  • CLOUT
  • PULL
  • SWAY
  • WEIGHT

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ANKH belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

EGYPTIAN SYMBOLS

Reveal all four words
  • ANKH
  • CROOK
  • EYE
  • SCARAB

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

COURIER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FONTS

Reveal all four words
  • COURIER
  • IMPACT
  • PAPYRUS
  • TIMES
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PLAYGROUND FIXTURES
  • Green: INFLUENCE
  • Blue: EGYPTIAN SYMBOLS
  • Purple: FONTS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PLAYGROUND FIXTURES

SANDBOX · SEESAW · SLIDE · SWING

Green

INFLUENCE

CLOUT · PULL · SWAY · WEIGHT

Blue

EGYPTIAN SYMBOLS

ANKH · CROOK · EYE · SCARAB

Purple

FONTS

COURIER · IMPACT · PAPYRUS · TIMES

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.