A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #108
hints & answers for September 27, 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 September 27, 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, P and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ACORN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PRODUCED BY TREES

Reveal all four words
  • ACORN
  • CONE
  • POLLEN
  • SAP

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CHOCOLATE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CANDY STORE TREATS

Reveal all four words
  • CHOCOLATE
  • GUM
  • LICORICE
  • LOLLIPOP

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CHUMP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TARGET OF A SCHEME

Reveal all four words
  • CHUMP
  • FOOL
  • MARK
  • SUCKER

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

FACE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS WITH EYE(S)

Reveal all four words
  • FACE
  • HURRICANE
  • NEEDLE
  • POTATO
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PRODUCED BY TREES
  • Green: CANDY STORE TREATS
  • Blue: TARGET OF A SCHEME
  • Purple: THINGS WITH EYE(S)

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PRODUCED BY TREES

ACORN · CONE · POLLEN · SAP

Green

CANDY STORE TREATS

CHOCOLATE · GUM · LICORICE · LOLLIPOP

Blue

TARGET OF A SCHEME

CHUMP · FOOL · MARK · SUCKER

Purple

THINGS WITH EYE(S)

FACE · HURRICANE · NEEDLE · POTATO

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.