Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
Take something without the owner's permission.
Show one word
LIFT belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
STEAL
Reveal all four words
- LIFT
- PALM
- PINCH
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #1004
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.
#1004
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 D, J, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
DRESS belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
MAKE NICER, WITH "UP"
Reveal all four words
- DRESS
- JAZZ
- SPIFF
- SPRUCE
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with I, P, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
ICE CREAM belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
KINDS OF CONES
Reveal all four words
- ICE CREAM
- PINE
- SNOW
- TRAFFIC
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with H, M, O and Y. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
HEE belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
PRONOUN HOMOPHONES
Reveal all four words
- HEE
- MI
- OUI
- YEW
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
STEAL
LIFT · PALM · PINCH · POCKET
Green
MAKE NICER, WITH "UP"
DRESS · JAZZ · SPIFF · SPRUCE
Blue
KINDS OF CONES
ICE CREAM · PINE · SNOW · TRAFFIC
Purple
PRONOUN HOMOPHONES
HEE · MI · OUI · YEW
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.