Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
Look on the periodic table for these materials.
Show one word
GOLD belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
METAL ELEMENTS
Reveal all four words
- GOLD
- LEAD
- MERCURY
- TIN
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #428
hints & answers for August 12, 2024
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#428
This reference always shows August 12, 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 F, K, Q and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
FULL belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
MATTRESS SIZES
Reveal all four words
- FULL
- KING
- QUEEN
- TWIN
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with C, H, J and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
CAN belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
SLANG FOR TOILET
Reveal all four words
- CAN
- HEAD
- JOHN
- THRONE
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with B, B, B and B. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
BOWIE belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
KINDS OF KNIVES
Reveal all four words
- BOWIE
- BUTCHER
- BUTTER
- BUTTERFLY
Show categories only
- Yellow: METAL ELEMENTS
- Green: MATTRESS SIZES
- Blue: SLANG FOR TOILET
- Purple: KINDS OF KNIVES
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
METAL ELEMENTS
GOLD · LEAD · MERCURY · TIN
Green
MATTRESS SIZES
FULL · KING · QUEEN · TWIN
Blue
SLANG FOR TOILET
CAN · HEAD · JOHN · THRONE
Purple
KINDS OF KNIVES
BOWIE · BUTCHER · BUTTER · BUTTERFLY
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.