A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #277
hints & answers for March 14, 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 March 14, 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 H, S, S and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

HIT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BOX OFFICE VICTORY

Reveal all four words
  • HIT
  • SMASH
  • SUCCESS
  • WINNER

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BUMP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

VOLLEYBALL MOVES

Reveal all four words
  • BUMP
  • SERVE
  • SET
  • SPIKE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

MOO belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOMOPHONES OF GREEK LETTERS

Reveal all four words
  • MOO
  • NEW
  • PIE
  • ROW

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, D, J and J. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DADDY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

___-O

Reveal all four words
  • DADDY
  • DAY
  • JACKIE
  • JELL
Show categories only
  • Yellow: BOX OFFICE VICTORY
  • Green: VOLLEYBALL MOVES
  • Blue: HOMOPHONES OF GREEK LETTERS
  • Purple: ___-O

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

BOX OFFICE VICTORY

HIT · SMASH · SUCCESS · WINNER

Green

VOLLEYBALL MOVES

BUMP · SERVE · SET · SPIKE

Blue

HOMOPHONES OF GREEK LETTERS

MOO · NEW · PIE · ROW

Purple

___-O

DADDY · DAY · JACKIE · JELL

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.