The New York Times’ daily Connections puzzle challenges players to group sixteen words into four categories of four. Today’s puzzle (#859, October 17) presents a diverse mix, ranging from straightforward associations to more obscure connections. Here’s a breakdown of the groups and answers, along with insights into how the puzzle works.
Understanding the Game
Connections is a logic puzzle that tests pattern recognition. The game’s difficulty lies in identifying the hidden relationships between seemingly unrelated words. The New York Times now provides a bot to track player performance, including win rates and streaks, adding a competitive element for dedicated players.
Hints by Difficulty
The puzzle groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). Here are hints to guide your approach:
- Yellow: These are tools often used in classrooms or business meetings.
- Green: You’d likely find these while traveling and looking for a memento.
- Blue: These characters are well-known from childhood stories.
- Purple: Think about how we describe atmospheric conditions.
Today’s Solutions
Here are the four categories and their corresponding words:
- Yellow Group: Presentation Tools – clicker, laser pointer, projector, slides
- Green Group: Souvenir Shop Items – figurine, key ring, magnet, postcard
- Blue Group: Folktale Characters – Chicken Little, Jack, Thumbelina, Tom Thumb
- Purple Group: Weather Terms – Beaufort scale, dewpoint, heat index, wind chill
The puzzle demonstrates how familiar concepts can be categorized in unexpected ways. The purple group, in particular, requires specialized knowledge of meteorological terminology, highlighting the game’s occasional reliance on niche vocabulary.
Connections tests both vocabulary and lateral thinking, making it a popular daily challenge for word puzzle enthusiasts.
