The New York Times daily Connections puzzle for December 15th (#918) presents a challenging word association game. Players must group sixteen words into four categories of four, based on shared themes. If you’re stuck, this guide provides hints and the complete answers. The puzzle’s difficulty varies, with the purple category often being the most obscure.
Today’s Hints
The puzzle’s groupings are designed to test lateral thinking. Here are clues, from easiest to hardest:
- Yellow: Relates to competitive events.
- Green: Describes something very large in scale.
- Blue: Refers to places with a shady reputation.
- Purple: Deals with alternative meanings of a letter.
The Answers
Here’s how the groups break down:
- Yellow: The theme is tournament rounds. The words are final, qualifier, quarter, and semi.
- Green: The theme is enormous. The words are bumper, giant, monster, and titanic.
- Blue: The theme is disreputable establishment. The words are dive, dump, hole, and joint.
- Purple: The theme is what “C” might mean. The words are Celsius, cold, one hundred, and see.
Playing Strategy
The Times now offers a Connections bot for those who want to track their performance. The bot provides a score and analyzes your solving process. However, to improve your game, consider these tips:
- Read Aloud: Vocalizing the words can reveal connections you might miss visually. The puzzle creators often use phrases where words are used in similar contexts.
- Avoid Obvious Answers: The puzzle is designed to trick you. Sometimes, the most apparent grouping is a red herring. If stuck, shuffle the words for a fresh perspective.
- Break Down Compounds: Deconstruct compound words to identify hidden themes. For example, “Rushmore” was once part of a puzzle where the connection was rock bands.
The Connections puzzle remains a popular daily challenge, testing vocabulary and problem-solving skills. Mastering the game requires patience and a willingness to think outside the box.
