Yellow group
Straightforward
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with A, B, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
ACHE belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
HURT
Reveal all four words
- ACHE
- BURN
- SMART
- STING
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #230
hints & answers for January 27, 2024
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#230
This reference always shows January 27, 2024. 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 G, M, T and W. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
GUARD belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
LOOK AFTER
Reveal all four words
- GUARD
- MIND
- TEND
- WATCH
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with B, C, H and H. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
BRAIN belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
SOUGHT AFTER IN "THE WIZARD OF OZ"
Reveal all four words
- BRAIN
- COURAGE
- HEART
- HOME
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with A, T, W and W. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
ANSWER belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
SILENT "W"
Reveal all four words
- ANSWER
- TWO
- WRIST
- WRONG
Show categories only
- Yellow: HURT
- Green: LOOK AFTER
- Blue: SOUGHT AFTER IN "THE WIZARD OF OZ"
- Purple: SILENT "W"
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
HURT
ACHE · BURN · SMART · STING
Green
LOOK AFTER
GUARD · MIND · TEND · WATCH
Blue
SOUGHT AFTER IN "THE WIZARD OF OZ"
BRAIN · COURAGE · HEART · HOME
Purple
SILENT "W"
ANSWER · TWO · WRIST · WRONG
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.