A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #384
hints & answers for June 29, 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 June 29, 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
Gentle hint

Try saying these aloud instead of looking at their spelling.

Show one word

TO belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOMOPHONES

Reveal all four words
  • TO
  • TOO
  • TUE
  • TWO

These entries are pronounced alike despite their different spellings.

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
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
  • TIE
  • UNITE
  • WED

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

LAID belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SITUATED

Reveal all four words
  • LAID
  • PLACED
  • PUT
  • SAT

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try adding the same ending to each entry.

Show one word

MAY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

___FLOWER

Reveal all four words
  • MAY
  • SUN
  • WALL
  • WILD

Each entry comes before "FLOWER" to form a word, expression or name: MAY → MAY FLOWER; SUN → SUN FLOWER; WALL → WALL FLOWER; WILD → WILD FLOWER.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: HOMOPHONES
  • Green: CONNECT
  • Blue: SITUATED
  • Purple: ___FLOWER

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

HOMOPHONES

TO · TOO · TUE · TWO

Green

CONNECT

COUPLE · TIE · UNITE · WED

Blue

SITUATED

LAID · PLACED · PUT · SAT

Purple

___FLOWER

MAY · SUN · WALL · WILD

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.