A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #233
hints & answers for January 30, 2024

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 January 30, 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.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BANG belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HIT HARD

Reveal all four words
  • BANG
  • HAMMER
  • POUND
  • SLAM

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CHRONICLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

NEWSPAPER NAMES

Reveal all four words
  • CHRONICLE
  • HERALD
  • REGISTER
  • SUN

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BANANA belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CRESCENT-SHAPED THINGS

Reveal all four words
  • BANANA
  • CROISSANT
  • MOON
  • SICKLE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

FEATHER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

POWER-UPS IN SUPER MARIO WORLD

Reveal all four words
  • FEATHER
  • FLOWER
  • MUSHROOM
  • STAR
Show categories only
  • Yellow: HIT HARD
  • Green: NEWSPAPER NAMES
  • Blue: CRESCENT-SHAPED THINGS
  • Purple: POWER-UPS IN SUPER MARIO WORLD

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

HIT HARD

BANG · HAMMER · POUND · SLAM

Green

NEWSPAPER NAMES

CHRONICLE · HERALD · REGISTER · SUN

Blue

CRESCENT-SHAPED THINGS

BANANA · CROISSANT · MOON · SICKLE

Purple

POWER-UPS IN SUPER MARIO WORLD

FEATHER · FLOWER · MUSHROOM · 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.

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.