NYT Connections is a daily word-categorization game that challenges players to identify shared semantic, linguistic, or conceptual links between 16 seemingly disparate words. The objective is to organize these words into four distinct groups of four, each defined by a specific theme that increases in complexity as the difficulty level rises from yellow to purple.
At Groundwork, our analysis shows that success in these puzzles relies less on broad trivia knowledge and more on identifying associative patterns and recognizing "distractor" words that seem to fit multiple categories. By deconstructing the logic behind puzzles like #1163, we can establish a repeatable framework for solving even the most abstract groupings.
The most effective strategy for solving Connections is to avoid immediate commitment to the first association you perceive. Because the game designers intentionally include "red herrings"—words that look like they belong in two different categories—you must scan the entire grid for potential overlaps before making your first selection.
- Scan for obvious subsets: Identify groups of four that share a clear, singular definition, such as "video call platforms" (e.g., Zoom, Teams, Meet, Huddle).
- Isolate potential distractors: If you see five or six words that could theoretically fit a category, stop. This indicates at least one word is a decoy designed to pull you into an incorrect grouping.
- Search for wordplay: Look for prefixes, suffixes, or hidden phrases. Categories are often based on linguistic structures (e.g., words that start with a specific sound or pet name) rather than just thematic definitions.
- Re-evaluate remaining words: Once you solve one category, the remaining pool of 12 words becomes easier to analyze. Use the process of elimination to narrow down the final, often more abstract, groups.
Not all Connections groups are created equal. Groundwork research into puzzle mechanics reveals that categories generally fall into two buckets: thematic (based on meaning) and linguistic (based on form).
Thematic categories, such as "first names of country music legends" (Dolly, Johnny, Patsy, Willie), require external knowledge. These are typically the easiest to identify if you possess the relevant cultural context. In contrast, linguistic categories—such as "spreadsheet features" (formula, function, macro, script)—rely on technical or functional definitions.
Keep exploring
More from GroundworkWhen you encounter a group that feels "bizarre" or overly specific, such as "starting with pets" (birdie, cattle, dogie, fisheye), you are likely dealing with a wordplay category. These often require you to ignore the primary meaning of the word and focus on its orthography or phonetic structure. Shifting your focus from what the word is to how the word looks or sounds is the primary key to breaking the purple-level difficulty barrier.
Distractors are the core mechanism of the puzzle's difficulty. In puzzle #1163, terms related to computing could have easily been conflated. For example, "script" and "formula" are technical terms, but they belong to the "spreadsheet features" category. If you attempted to group them with "Zoom" or "Teams" under a broad "tech" umbrella, you would fail to unlock the board.
To overcome this, you must test your hypotheses against the remaining grid. If you select four words and the game rejects your move, do not simply try a different combination of those same words. Instead, identify which word in your selection is the most "flexible"—the one that could plausibly fit elsewhere—and swap it out. This method of iterative testing is the most reliable way to bypass the cognitive biases the game designers exploit.
While each day brings a new puzzle, the underlying logic is consistent. Data from historical puzzles—such as those featuring "things that can run" or "streets on screen"—demonstrates that the difficulty often stems from polysemy, where words carry multiple meanings.
To improve your performance, practice "lateral thinking." If you are stuck, write the remaining words down on paper. Seeing the words in a list rather than a grid can often help you spot linguistic patterns, such as all words ending in the same letter or sharing a common root. At Groundwork, we have observed that players who utilize a physical or digital scratchpad to group and regroup words have a significantly higher success rate than those who rely solely on mental visualization.
- Read all 16 words aloud to identify phonetic or rhythmic connections.
- Categorize words by their primary definition first to weed out the obvious groups.
- Look for "shared properties" if no clear theme appears; check for parts of speech (e.g., all verbs) or grammatical structures.
- When you have three words that clearly fit a theme, look at the remaining 13 words to find the fourth, rather than picking the most "obvious" candidate that might be a distractor.
- Save the most abstract or "bizarre" category for last; it is often the one that becomes clear only by process of elimination.
