Yellow group
Straightforward
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with B, H, J and R. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
BOO belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
TAUNTS
Reveal all four words
- BOO
- HISS
- JEER
- RASPBERRY
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #128
hints & answers for October 17, 2023
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#128
This reference always shows October 17, 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 B, D, F and L. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
BOMB belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
FAILURE
Reveal all four words
- BOMB
- DUD
- FLOP
- LEMON
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with D, G, I and J. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
DESERT belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
RUDELY BREAK OFF CONTACT
Reveal all four words
- DESERT
- GHOST
- IGNORE
- JILT
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
Wordplay hint
Try putting the same beginning before each entry.
Show one word
BOTTOM belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
ROCK ___
Reveal all four words
- BOTTOM
- CANDY
- GARDEN
- STAR
Each entry comes after "ROCK" to form a word, expression or name: BOTTOM → ROCK BOTTOM; CANDY → ROCK CANDY; GARDEN → ROCK GARDEN; STAR → ROCK STAR.
Show categories only
- Yellow: TAUNTS
- Green: FAILURE
- Blue: RUDELY BREAK OFF CONTACT
- Purple: ROCK ___
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
TAUNTS
BOO · HISS · JEER · RASPBERRY
Green
FAILURE
BOMB · DUD · FLOP · LEMON
Blue
RUDELY BREAK OFF CONTACT
DESERT · GHOST · IGNORE · JILT
Purple
ROCK ___
BOTTOM · CANDY · GARDEN · STAR
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.