The New York Times’ Connections puzzle for October 29, #871, has been released. This daily word game challenges players to group sixteen seemingly random words into four categories of four, based on shared themes. If you’re stuck, here’s a breakdown of the hints and answers.
Puzzle Difficulty and New Tools
Today’s puzzle features a mix of straightforward and deceptively tricky groupings. The Times has recently introduced a “Connections Bot” that analyzes player performance, tracking win rates, perfect scores, and streaks. This tool caters to players interested in quantifying their puzzle-solving skills.
Category Hints
The puzzle’s difficulty is tiered, with the yellow group being the easiest and the purple group the most challenging. Here are hints for each category:
- Yellow: Bravery.
- Green: A method of distribution for media.
- Blue: Words starting with a specific vocalization (“say”).
- Purple: Includes the complete alphabet.
Solutions Breakdown
Here are the four categories and their corresponding words:
Yellow Group: Fortitude
The shared theme is inner strength. The four words are:
– Backbone
– Courage
– Heart
– Spirit
Green Group: Channel
The connection here is a way to deliver information or content. The words are:
– Medium
– Outlet
– Platform
– Venue
Blue Group: “Say” Sound
These words all begin with a pronunciation that sounds like “say.” They are:
– Sacrum
– Seitan
– Seychelles
– Séance
Purple Group: A to Z
This is the most complex grouping, featuring items that incorporate all letters of the alphabet. The answers are:
– Abecedarium (an alphabetical list)
– Computer keyboard
– Ouija board
– Scrabble
Quick Tips for Solving
To improve your Connections success rate:
- Vocalize Clues: Saying the words out loud can reveal subtle connections. The puzzle often relies on common phrasing.
- Avoid Obvious Groupings: The editors deliberately mislead by including words that seem to fit together but don’t.
- Deconstruct Compounds: Break down complex words to identify hidden patterns; for example, consider prefixes, suffixes, or root words.
The Connections puzzle is designed to be challenging, but with these hints and strategies, you should be able to crack today’s puzzle. The game is about pattern recognition and lateral thinking; sometimes, the most unexpected connection is the correct one.
