Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
A trip below the waterline may help.
Show one word
MULLET belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
FISH
Reveal all four words
- MULLET
- PIKE
- SOLE
- TANG
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #1170
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.
#1170
Which group has you stuck?
Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.
1/4
Green group
A little trickier
Gentle hint
The one that matters most, or leads the others.
Show one word
ARCH belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
PRINCIPAL
Reveal all four words
- ARCH
- CHIEF
- MAIN
- PRIME
Blue group
More challenging
Gentle hint
Think about the roles and storytelling around a choreographed fight.
Show one word
FACE belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
PRO-WRESTLING LINGO
Reveal all four words
- FACE
- HEEL
- JOBBER
- KAYFABE
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
Gentle hint
The sound of an alphabet letter is hiding beside some court vocabulary.
Show one word
BESET belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
LETTER HOMOPHONE PLUS TENNIS TERM
Reveal all four words
- BESET
- DESERVE
- EX-LOVE
- EYELET
BESET combines B with SET; DESERVE combines D with SERVE; EX-LOVE combines X with LOVE; EYELET combines I with LET.
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
FISH
MULLET · PIKE · SOLE · TANG
Green
PRINCIPAL
ARCH · CHIEF · MAIN · PRIME
Blue
PRO-WRESTLING LINGO
FACE · HEEL · JOBBER · KAYFABE
Purple
LETTER HOMOPHONE PLUS TENNIS TERM
BESET · DESERVE · EX-LOVE · EYELET
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.