A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #855
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.

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 C, H, M and P. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CAN OF WORMS belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

METAPHORS FOR POTENTIALLY VOLATILE SITUATIONS

Reveal all four words
  • CAN OF WORMS
  • HORNET’S NEST
  • MINEFIELD
  • PANDORA’S BOX

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with H, K, L and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

HAPPY HOUR belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BAR EVENTS

Reveal all four words
  • HAPPY HOUR
  • KARAOKE
  • LIVE MUSIC
  • TRIVIA NIGHT

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ABOUT TIME belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WORDS AFTER A WELCOME DEPARTURE

Reveal all four words
  • ABOUT TIME
  • FINALLY
  • GOOD RIDDANCE
  • SAYONARA

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, C, G and L. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

AMERICAN HUSTLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ENDING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SWINDLE"

Reveal all four words
  • AMERICAN HUSTLE
  • COMIC CON
  • GOLDEN FLEECE
  • LUCKY STIFF

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

METAPHORS FOR POTENTIALLY VOLATILE SITUATIONS

CAN OF WORMS · HORNET’S NEST · MINEFIELD · PANDORA’S BOX

Green

BAR EVENTS

HAPPY HOUR · KARAOKE · LIVE MUSIC · TRIVIA NIGHT

Blue

WORDS AFTER A WELCOME DEPARTURE

ABOUT TIME · FINALLY · GOOD RIDDANCE · SAYONARA

Purple

ENDING WITH SYNONYMS FOR "SWINDLE"

AMERICAN HUSTLE · COMIC CON · GOLDEN FLEECE · LUCKY STIFF

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.