Hints
Today’s Connections is a little different from the usual hunt for synonyms. Three of the four groups are pretty straightforward once you lock onto the theme, and the purple category is all about spotting words tucked inside other words. If you’re playing along, you can treat this like a “notice the pattern” puzzle first—and a “find the words” puzzle second.
Yellow (easiest): If you’ve ever had a feeling that something was about to happen—before you had proof—this one is for you.
Green: Think about phone settings that control sound. The key here is recognizing the specific “mode” names, not just generic silence.
Blue: Modern dating has plenty of terms for manipulation and deception. This group points to bad behaviors you’ve probably heard about in headlines, even if you don’t use the vocabulary in everyday life.
Purple (tough, but clever): Look for phrases where the second word contains the first word. In other words: the answer is hiding inside the next word like a nested toy.
If you want a nudge on how the Connections game works alongside other NYT word puzzles, it can help to compare how clueing style differs from Wordle—but for this one, your biggest advantage is pattern recognition.
Answers
Yellow answers (premonition): gut feeling, hunch, intuition, sixth sense
Green answers (cell phone modes): do not disturb, ring, silent, vibrate
Blue answers (bad things to do in modern dating): breadcrumb, catfish, ghost, love bomb
Purple answers (phrases whose second words include their first word): Air Cairo, All Hallows, arm warmer, The Others
One small solving tip for the purple group: don’t just scan for phrases that sound right—circle the first word and then verify it’s truly embedded in the second. When it clicks, it’s oddly satisfying, like catching a word in plain sight.
If you’re playing on your own timeline, remember that the NYT Connections Bot can help confirm whether your groupings are behaving like the puzzle expects—use it as a reality check rather than a shortcut.
