The New York Times’ daily word puzzle game, Connections, continues to engage millions of players with its clever twists on language and categorization. Today’s puzzle, released at midnight local time as usual, offered a moderate challenge with themes that prompted players to think outside the box, especially those unfamiliar with phonetic alphabets or nuanced definitions.
For those new to the game, Connections presents a 4×4 grid of 16 words. The player’s job is to group them into four sets of four based on hidden thematic links. You’re allowed only four mistakes before the game locks you out for the day. The themes can be quite broad, from pop culture references to grammatical structures, military code names, and more.
Today’s Themes and Word Categories
If you’re stuck on today’s game or just want to verify your guesses, here are the confirmed themes and the groupings that solve the puzzle:
✅ Group 1: To Endorse
- BACK
- CHAMPION
- SECOND
- SUPPORT
These words all relate to the idea of giving approval or public affirmation — whether you’re backing a candidate, championing a cause, seconding a motion, or offering support.
✅ Group 2: Detailed
- ELABORATE
- MINUTE
- PARTICULAR
- THOROUGH
Here, all the words describe something intricate or detailed. Interestingly, “minute” (pronounced my-NOOT) trips up many players due to its dual pronunciation and meanings.
✅ Group 3: Era
- AGE
- DAY
- PERIOD
- TIME
These terms all function as synonyms or representations of a historical or chronological segment — essentially, ways to express a “period.”
✅ Group 4: NATO Alphabet
- ECHO
- KILO
- UNIFORM
- VICTOR
This grouping references the NATO phonetic alphabet, which assigns words to letters for clear communication in military and aviation contexts. Each word corresponds to a letter:
- E for Echo
- K for Kilo
- U for Uniform
- V for Victor
Hints to Help You Solve
Before diving into the answers, players are often offered a few helpful clues:
- A theme label, like “ENDORSE,” suggests a synonym hunt.
- A starter word, like “BACK,” nudges you toward the full group.
- Some groups involve double-meaning words, which can be deceptive without context, as seen with “minute.”
Where to Play
You can find Connections on the New York Times Games website or through the NYT Games app, available for iOS and Android. The game refreshes each night at midnight, and players can track their streaks, share scores, and even compare attempts with friends.
What to Expect Next
Each day’s puzzle varies in difficulty. The yellow group tends to be the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple — the last usually reserved for the trickiest theme. Editor Wyna Liu, a longtime contributor to NYT puzzles, leads the curation of these daily brain teasers. Liu, who joined The Times in 2020, described the experience as “a rewarding challenge in creative pattern-building.”
As Connections celebrated its first anniversary recently, Liu reflected on the game’s growth and highlighted her favorite puzzles in a widely shared TikTok video.
FAQs About NYT Connections
Q: When does the Connections puzzle reset?
A: Every day at midnight local time.
Q: Who creates the puzzles?
A: Wyna Liu, who edits and creates puzzles for The New York Times, is the lead editor for Connections.
Conclusion
Whether you solved today’s puzzle or ended up stumped by tricky terms like “minute” or “uniform,” the daily Connections game continues to provide an engaging mix of vocabulary, strategy, and clever categorization. Check back tomorrow for a new challenge — and don’t forget, every wrong answer is a chance to learn something new.