Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
Picture their usual colour, rather than their purpose.
Show one word
CANARY belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW
Reveal all four words
- CANARY
- LEMON
- MINION
- MUSTARD
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #521
hints & answers
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#521
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 A, A, E and W. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
ADDITION belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
BUILDING ADD-ONS
Reveal all four words
- ADDITION
- ANNEX
- EXTENSION
- WING
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with C, C, P and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
CALCULUS belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
CONCERNS FOR A DENTIST
Reveal all four words
- CALCULUS
- CAVITY
- PLAQUE
- TARTAR
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with C, P, W and W. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
COLONEL belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
WORDS THAT SEEM LONGER WRITTEN THAN SPOKEN
Reveal all four words
- COLONEL
- PHARAOH
- WEDNESDAY
- WORCESTERSHIRE
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
THINGS THAT ARE YELLOW
CANARY · LEMON · MINION · MUSTARD
Green
BUILDING ADD-ONS
ADDITION · ANNEX · EXTENSION · WING
Blue
CONCERNS FOR A DENTIST
CALCULUS · CAVITY · PLAQUE · TARTAR
Purple
WORDS THAT SEEM LONGER WRITTEN THAN SPOKEN
COLONEL · PHARAOH · WEDNESDAY · WORCESTERSHIRE
Make the connection
Four groups. Just enough help.
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Each group shares something: a meaning, a phrase, a sound, or an unexpected bit of wordplay.
Start with the group that has you stuck. Open its hint, try again, and reveal more only when you need it. Nothing you open will uncover a different group.
Before you spend another guess
- Find all four. Three convincing words can still be a trap. Look for a fourth that fits the same rule.
- Change the meaning. A word can be a noun, a verb, a name, or part of a phrase. Try reading it another way.
- Leave room for overlap. If five words seem to fit, test which one could belong to another group.
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.