A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #167
hints & answers for November 25, 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 November 25, 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 H, P, R and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

HIDDEN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SECLUDED

Reveal all four words
  • HIDDEN
  • PRIVATE
  • REMOTE
  • SECRET

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, N, Q and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

AMOUNT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

AGGREGATE SIZE

Reveal all four words
  • AMOUNT
  • NUMBER
  • QUANTITY
  • VOLUME

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CANAL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BODIES OF WATER

Reveal all four words
  • CANAL
  • CHANNEL
  • SOUND
  • STRAIT

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-character clue

Look for four entries beginning with 9, M, N and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

96 belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

READS THE SAME ROTATED 180°

Reveal all four words
  • 96
  • MOW
  • NOON
  • SIS
Show categories only
  • Yellow: SECLUDED
  • Green: AGGREGATE SIZE
  • Blue: BODIES OF WATER
  • Purple: READS THE SAME ROTATED 180°

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

SECLUDED

HIDDEN · PRIVATE · REMOTE · SECRET

Green

AGGREGATE SIZE

AMOUNT · NUMBER · QUANTITY · VOLUME

Blue

BODIES OF WATER

CANAL · CHANNEL · SOUND · STRAIT

Purple

READS THE SAME ROTATED 180°

96 · MOW · NOON · SIS

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.