Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
Someone or something brought in to take over.
Show one word
BACKUP belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
REPLACEMENT
Reveal all four words
- BACKUP
- COPY
- EXTRA
- SPARE
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #101
hints & answers for September 20, 2023
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#101
This reference always shows September 20, 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.
1/4
Green group
A little trickier
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with A, B, L and P. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
ALLEY belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
BOWLING
Reveal all four words
- ALLEY
- BALL
- LANE
- PIN
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with M, P, T and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
MUG belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
COMMON SWAG ITEMS
Reveal all four words
- MUG
- PEN
- TEE
- TOTE
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with A, F, T and W. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
ATE belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
NUMBER HOMOPHONES
Reveal all four words
- ATE
- FOR
- TOO
- WON
Show categories only
- Yellow: REPLACEMENT
- Green: BOWLING
- Blue: COMMON SWAG ITEMS
- Purple: NUMBER HOMOPHONES
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
REPLACEMENT
BACKUP · COPY · EXTRA · SPARE
Green
BOWLING
ALLEY · BALL · LANE · PIN
Blue
COMMON SWAG ITEMS
MUG · PEN · TEE · TOTE
Purple
NUMBER HOMOPHONES
ATE · FOR · TOO · WON
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.
Continue from this date
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.