Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
Open the front of a vehicle and look inside.
Show one word
ALTERNATOR belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR
Reveal all four words
- ALTERNATOR
- BATTERY
- ENGINE
- RADIATOR
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #1175
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.
#1175
Which group has you stuck?
Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.
1/4
Green group
A little trickier
Gentle hint
You might choose among these before the main course.
Show one word
CHOPPED belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
KINDS OF SALAD
Reveal all four words
- CHOPPED
- GREEK
- HOUSE
- WEDGE
Blue group
More challenging
Gentle hint
Your fingers may press these while working at a computer.
Show one word
CONTROL belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
KEYBOARD KEYS
Reveal all four words
- CONTROL
- ESCAPE
- SHIFT
- SPACE
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
Gentle hint
Ancient names are tucked into the beginnings, sometimes across a space.
Show one word
AT LAST belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH
Reveal all four words
- AT LAST
- HERALD
- HYDRANT
- TRITONE
AT LAST begins with ATLAS when the space is ignored; HERALD, HYDRANT and TRITONE begin with HERA, HYDRA and TRITON.
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
UNDER THE HOOD OF A CAR
ALTERNATOR · BATTERY · ENGINE · RADIATOR
Green
KINDS OF SALAD
CHOPPED · GREEK · HOUSE · WEDGE
Blue
KEYBOARD KEYS
CONTROL · ESCAPE · SHIFT · SPACE
Purple
STARTING WITH FIGURES FROM GREEK MYTH
AT LAST · HERALD · HYDRANT · TRITONE
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.