A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #175
hints & answers for December 3, 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 December 3, 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 C, E, G and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CABLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MONTHLY BILLS

Reveal all four words
  • CABLE
  • ELECTRIC
  • GAS
  • WATER

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ACOUSTIC belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

RELATED TO SOUND/HEARING

Reveal all four words
  • ACOUSTIC
  • AUDITORY
  • HEARD
  • SONIC

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
Gentle hint

Make separate things meet or work together.

Show one word

COUPLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CONNECT

Reveal all four words
  • COUPLE
  • HITCH
  • LINK
  • TIE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

AMP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

EXCITE, WITH “UP”

Reveal all four words
  • AMP
  • FIRE
  • HYPE
  • PUMP
Show categories only
  • Yellow: MONTHLY BILLS
  • Green: RELATED TO SOUND/HEARING
  • Blue: CONNECT
  • Purple: EXCITE, WITH “UP”

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

MONTHLY BILLS

CABLE · ELECTRIC · GAS · WATER

Green

RELATED TO SOUND/HEARING

ACOUSTIC · AUDITORY · HEARD · SONIC

Blue

CONNECT

COUPLE · HITCH · LINK · TIE

Purple

EXCITE, WITH “UP”

AMP · FIRE · HYPE · PUMP

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.