The weekend comes to an end with another Connections puzzle. This one is rather approachable, but that doesn't necessarily make it easy for everyone. If you need help, you'll find some hints below.
What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #364) - today's words
Today's NYT Connections words are…
- SALTY
- PEPPER
- BAKED
- CAKE
- SPRINKLE
- ONION
- BITTER
- EARTH
- SWEET
- SCATTER
- COUCH
- UPSET
- HOT
- PLYWOOD
- SORE
- STREW
NYT Connections today (game #364) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- Yellow: What are your emotions?
- Green: Dotted about
- Blue: Strata
- Purple: Chips!
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections today (game #364) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: FEELING SOME TYPE OF WAY
- GREEN: THROW HERE AND THERE
- BLUE: ___ POTATO
- PURPLE: THINGS WITH LAYERS
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #364) - the answers
The answers to today's Connections, game #364, are…
- YELLOW: FEELING SOME TYPE OF WAY BITTER, SALTY, SORE, UPSET
- GREEN: THROW HERE AND THERE PEPPER, SCATTER, SPRINKLE, STREW
- BLUE: ___ POTATO BAKED, COUCH, HOT, SWEET
- PURPLE: THINGS WITH LAYERS CAKE, EARTH, ONION, PLYWOOD
- My rating: Easy
- My score: Perfect
One thing I like about Connections is the way the NYT's fiendish puzzle-setters attempt to trip you up by throwing in red herrings. Case in point: it would be very easy to see BITTER, SWEET and SALTY, three of the five basic tastes (with sour and umami), and to assume they make up three-quarters of one group. But what would the fourth be? Maybe HOT? But no, that's some clever subterfuge by the NYT, because those words are not part of one group.
Once I'd decided not to go down that route, I thought about SCATTER and SPRINKLE, which can mean a similar thing. STREW fit too – and though I had been thinking that PEPPER might be part of a food-related group with ONION or CAKE, I realized that it would also fit there. One down.
Returning to BITTER and SALTY, SORE and UPSET could be joined to make the yellow group. The third group, _POTATO, was now obvious and though I didn't know what connection was with the purple words, I was once again able to solve it by default.
How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 8 June, game #363)
- YELLOW: GRAB ONE’S ATTENTION ABSORB, ENGROSS, HOLD, RIVET
- GREEN: DOCUMENT WITH VIDEO FILM, RECORD, SHOOT, TAPE
- BLUE: ANAGRAMS PASTEL, PETALS, PLEATS, STAPLE
- PURPLE: PRETTY ___ GOOD, PENNY, PLEASE, WOMAN
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
