How to Approach Today's Connections

Each day, the New York Times releases a fresh Connections puzzle, testing your ability to categorize words based on hidden associations. If you find yourself stuck, these hints might help you navigate the challenge.


Category Hints

  • BLUE: Various techniques used for online advertising.
  • PURPLE: Words that precede another term rhyming with "car."


Puzzle #1231 Solutions Revealed

Warning: The following section contains spoilers for today's game. Proceed only if you are ready to see the solutions.


The Categories and Answers

Here are the completed groups for puzzle #1231:

  • YELLOW: KINDS OF STRIPS: BACON, COMIC, FILM, MÖBIUS
  • GREEN: THINGS ON STICKS: HOBBY HORSE, PINWHEEL, POPSICLE, SPARKLER
  • BLUE: ONLINE AD FORMATS: BANNER, INTERSTITIAL, OVERLAY, POP-UP
  • PURPLE: _____ BAR: CANDY, SALAD, SPACE, SPORTS

Insights on the Difficulty

Some categories can be particularly deceptive. For instance, the "Online Ad Formats" category includes "interstitial"—a term for those intrusive ads that dominate the screen, forcing users to locate the close button. It is a common point of frustration for web users.


Additional categorized sets found in this puzzle include:

  • YELLOW (FORTHRIGHT): DIRECT, FRANK, OPEN, VOCAL
  • GREEN (THINGS YOU INSTALL ON A COMPUTER): DRIVER, EXTENSION, PLUGIN, UPDATE
  • BLUE (QUANTITIES IN A FORMULA FOR POWER): DISTANCE, FORCE, POWER, TIME
  • PURPLE (_____ TAP): DOUBLE, LOVE, PHONE, SPINAL

Understanding the Game

Connections requires players to identify four distinct groups of four words. The game uses a color-coded difficulty system: Yellow is the most straightforward, followed by Green, Blue, and finally Purple, which is typically the most challenging.


While the game can be tricky—often incorporating homophones or clever misdirection—it allows for four mistakes, providing some flexibility. Ultimately, even if you struggle with the final category, it can usually be solved through the process of elimination. You can play this game for free via the official NYT Games website on both desktop and mobile devices.