A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #308
hints & answers for April 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 April 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 R, T, W and Y. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

RIP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PULL USING FORCE

Reveal all four words
  • RIP
  • TEAR
  • WRENCH
  • YANK

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

DRILL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BIT OF REPETITIVE TRAINING

Reveal all four words
  • DRILL
  • EXERCISE
  • PRACTICE
  • ROUTINE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

AMERICAN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

U.S.-BASED AIRLINES

Reveal all four words
  • AMERICAN
  • FRONTIER
  • SPIRIT
  • UNITED

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

FRIAR belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BEGINNING WITH DAY ABBREVIATIONS

Reveal all four words
  • FRIAR
  • MONKEY
  • SUNDRY
  • WEDDING
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PULL USING FORCE
  • Green: BIT OF REPETITIVE TRAINING
  • Blue: U.S.-BASED AIRLINES
  • Purple: BEGINNING WITH DAY ABBREVIATIONS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PULL USING FORCE

RIP · TEAR · WRENCH · YANK

Green

BIT OF REPETITIVE TRAINING

DRILL · EXERCISE · PRACTICE · ROUTINE

Blue

U.S.-BASED AIRLINES

AMERICAN · FRONTIER · SPIRIT · UNITED

Purple

BEGINNING WITH DAY ABBREVIATIONS

FRIAR · MONKEY · SUNDRY · WEDDING

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.