A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #493
hints & answers for October 16, 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 October 16, 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 E, L, N and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

EVENTUALLY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

AT SOME FUTURE POINT

Reveal all four words
  • EVENTUALLY
  • LATER
  • NEXT
  • SOON

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BRACKET belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PARTS OF A TOURNAMENT SETUP

Reveal all four words
  • BRACKET
  • BYE
  • ROUND
  • SEED

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CHEERIO belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BIT OF BREAKFAST CEREAL

Reveal all four words
  • CHEERIO
  • FLAKE
  • PEBBLE
  • PUFF

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

PEACE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WHAT THE OUTSTRETCHED INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS CAN REPRESENT

Reveal all four words
  • PEACE
  • SCISSORS
  • TWO
  • VICTORY
Show categories only
  • Yellow: AT SOME FUTURE POINT
  • Green: PARTS OF A TOURNAMENT SETUP
  • Blue: BIT OF BREAKFAST CEREAL
  • Purple: WHAT THE OUTSTRETCHED INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS CAN REPRESENT

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

AT SOME FUTURE POINT

EVENTUALLY · LATER · NEXT · SOON

Green

PARTS OF A TOURNAMENT SETUP

BRACKET · BYE · ROUND · SEED

Blue

BIT OF BREAKFAST CEREAL

CHEERIO · FLAKE · PEBBLE · PUFF

Purple

WHAT THE OUTSTRETCHED INDEX AND MIDDLE FINGERS CAN REPRESENT

PEACE · SCISSORS · TWO · VICTORY

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.