NYT Connections Game #953: Complete Hints, Answers & Winning Strategies [2025]

You're staring at four random words on your screen. BUDDING. CURRENT. QUICK. MINT. Your brain's firing in different directions, and nothing feels right. Welcome to the daily frustration that is NYT Connections.

For those unfamiliar, NYT Connections is the New York Times' deceptively simple word puzzle that ruins your morning in the best way possible. It looks straightforward: group four words that share something in common, do it four times without making more than four mistakes, and you're golden. In reality? It's a minefield of homophones, puns, and category tricks designed specifically to make you second-guess everything.

Game #953 (Monday, January 19) is a perfect example of why this game gets under your skin. The puzzle seems innocent enough at first glance, but the categories have more layers than you'd expect. The green category is genuinely easy. The yellow? That's where people start to struggle. By the time you hit blue and purple, you're either confidently wrong or completely lost.

Here's the thing: solving these puzzles isn't magic. It's pattern recognition combined with understanding how the game's creators think. They love wordplay. They love ambiguity. They love watching you choose the wrong answer because it almost makes sense. In this guide, I'm walking you through today's puzzle with hints that actually help, plus the complete answers if you want to skip straight to the solution. More importantly, I'm sharing the frameworks that'll make you better at this game long-term.

Let's dig into game #953 and understand what makes it tick.

Understanding NYT Connections: The Foundation You Need

Before we tackle today's puzzle, let's establish how Connections actually works. The game presents you with 16 words arranged in a four-by-four grid. Your job is to identify four distinct groups of four words, where each group shares a common theme or characteristic.

The difficulty escalates as you move through the colors. Green groups are straightforward—think "types of fruit" or "animals that fly." Yellow adds complexity with categories that require a bit more lateral thinking. Blue goes weird. And purple? Purple is where the game designers put their evil genius on full display.

Here's what catches most people off guard: the categories are almost never what they seem on the surface. A word might fit into multiple potential groupings, and the puzzle relies on you selecting the correct grouping among several plausible options. This is deliberate. The New York Times knows that Connections works best when you're genuinely uncertain for a moment before hitting submit.

You get four mistakes before game over. Use them strategically. Many experienced players intentionally make a wrong guess to test a hypothesis, then pivot their strategy accordingly. It's not a sign of failure—it's pattern elimination.

The puzzle also has a built-in assumption: if you get three categories correct, the fourth appears by elimination. You technically don't need to solve the purple category—you just need to guess correctly by process of elimination. This changes your strategy. On your last attempt, if you're confident about three groups, submit them even if you're unsure about the fourth.

The game is designed for daily play—one new puzzle drops at midnight in your time zone. This means someone somewhere is always playing "today's game" while others are technically playing "yesterday's." The puzzle never changes, and there's no time pressure. You can solve it in 30 seconds or 30 minutes. The only real pressure is internal: that urge to get it perfect without using your four-mistake buffer.

Estimated data suggests that most puzzles are easy (green) or medium (yellow), with fewer hard (blue) and very hard (purple) puzzles.

Game #953: The Four Words You're Working With

Today's puzzle contains 16 words, but the four groups of four are what matter. Understanding which words belong together is the entire challenge. The surface-level words in today's puzzle are deceptively simple, but their groupings require specific thinking patterns.

The word distribution in game #953 spans multiple potential categories. Some words feel like they could belong to multiple groups, which is exactly what makes Connections brilliant and infuriating. The creators deliberately choose words that have multiple valid associations, forcing you to find the specific connection that the puzzle-maker intended.

This puzzle has a clear structure: one group is vocabulary-based, one is about measurements, one is about linguistic patterns, and one is about metaphorical associations. None of these connections are arbitrary. Each one follows internal logic that makes sense once you see it, but finding that logic is the challenge.

Game #953 specifically exploits this trap. Several words have double meanings or can function in multiple contexts. Your brain will naturally gravitate toward certain groupings, but the puzzle-maker anticipated that and designed the categories to punish obvious assumptions.

Thematic categories are the most common, making up 40% of all categories, while phrase-based categories, despite being the hardest, appear in 25% of puzzles. Estimated data.

Hint #1: Starting With Green (The Easy One)

Green categories in Connections are your entry point. They're designed to be the most straightforward and give you quick confidence. In game #953, the green category is thematic and concrete enough that experienced players usually spot it within seconds of looking at the grid.

The category is: 💰 (Money-Related Words)

This is one of those categories where the puzzle-maker is being directly visual. The emoji clue tells you exactly what direction to think. These four words all relate to money, wealth, or financial abundance in different ways.

When you see an emoji as the category clue, it's intentional signaling. The New York Times doesn't randomly throw emojis into clues. They use them when the category is either very literal or when the theme benefits from visual representation. In this case, it's straightforward: look for money.

The green category serves a critical function in your solving strategy. It's your warm-up. It gets your brain thinking in the right direction. Once you've identified green correctly, you've locked in a portion of your answer grid, which automatically constrains the other three groups. Now you know which eight words don't belong to the money category, and you're working with a smaller set for the remaining puzzles.

This is why many expert players strategically start with green rather than tackling the categories in numerical order of difficulty. You're not just solving one group—you're reducing the complexity of the entire puzzle by identifying certain words and eliminating them from consideration in other groups.

Hint #2: Yellow (The Slightly Tricky One)

Yellow categories sit in the sweet spot between obvious and obscure. They require you to think one level deeper than green but not so far that the connection becomes obscure or arbitrary.

In game #953, the yellow category is: Inexperienced or Youthful

This is where the puzzle tests whether you're thinking literally or metaphorically. The four words that belong to this group all describe someone or something that is new, young, inexperienced, or in early stages of development. But they don't all say that directly. They approach the concept from different angles.

Yellow categories often exploit language's flexibility. A single word can have multiple definitions, and the puzzle uses this to create mild confusion. Someone solving this might initially think one of the yellow words belongs somewhere else, then have a moment of clarity when they realize the actual connection.

The yellow category in game #953 specifically uses words that people commonly confuse with other groupings. Your instinct might initially pull one or two of these words toward other categories. Recognizing that instinct and questioning it is part of the solving process.

Here's a critical insight about yellow categories: they often reward vocabulary knowledge. If you know the subtle definitions and connotations of words, yellow categories become easier. Someone learning English might struggle here not because the puzzle is poorly designed, but because English has layers of meaning that aren't always obvious from surface-level definitions.

Estimated data: Complexity balance and confidence game are the strongest factors making Connections addictive, scoring 9 and 8 respectively.

Hint #3: Blue (The Genuinely Difficult One)

Blue categories are where Connections separates casual players from people who actually think carefully about language and patterns. Blue doesn't require obscure knowledge—it requires seeing connections that aren't immediately visible.

In game #953, the blue category is: Measured by SI Units

This is a scientific connection wrapped in a word puzzle. The four words in this group each represent something that's quantified using the International System of Units (SI units). This requires knowledge of both the words themselves and what they measure.

Blue categories often work with specialized vocabulary or require understanding a specific context. You need to know not just what the words are, but what they represent in a broader system of measurement or classification.

The blue category in today's puzzle specifically tests whether you understand the relationship between abstract concepts and how we measure them. It's not enough to know the four words individually—you need to understand that they share a common measurement framework.

Here's where many people go wrong with blue categories: they try to force connections that almost work. You might look at the words and think, "Oh, these four could be related to...," and then spend your mistake count testing theories. Instead, blue categories reward confident selection once you see the pattern.

The key to blue categories is recognizing that they often have a theme that's narrower and more specific than it initially appears. The puzzle-maker chose these four words precisely because they share something very specific, and everything else is a distraction.

Hint #4: Purple (The Evil One)

Purple categories in Connections are designed to make you feel stupid once you finally see the answer. They exploit language in ways that feel unfair until the moment of clarity hits, and then they feel inevitable.

In game #953, the purple category is: Words That Follow "Quick"

This is what Connections calls a "phrase" category, where each word is part of a common phrase or compound word. In this case, you're looking for words that commonly follow the word "QUICK" in English.

Purple categories often use this structure: common phrases, compound words, words in specific sequences, or linguistic patterns that aren't immediately obvious. The challenge is that you might know all four words perfectly well, but not recognize that they share this specific linguistic relationship.

The purple category in game #953 is particularly tricky because some of the words might initially seem like they belong to other categories. Your brain is trying to categorize them by meaning, but the actual connection is purely structural—they're all parts of phrases that start with a specific word.

Here's what happens with purple categories: you either see it immediately (in which case you wonder why you struggled for so long), or you miss it entirely (in which case you're amazed when someone shows you the answer). There's rarely a middle ground.

Purple categories reward linguistic awareness. You need to think not just about what words mean, but how they're used in everyday language. You might know all four purple words but never have consciously thought about the fact that they all follow "QUICK." The puzzle-maker is betting that you haven't made that connection.

Game #953 features a balanced distribution of categories, typical of Connections puzzles, ensuring a mix of difficulty levels. Estimated data.

Complete Answers for Game #953

If you've reached this point, you're ready for the full solution. Here are the four groups and their categories:

Green Category: 💰 (Money-Related Words) BUNDLE, FORTUNE, MINT, WAD

These four words all describe money or a large sum of money in colloquial English. "BUNDLE" is a bundle of cash, "FORTUNE" is a large amount of money, "MINT" is a phrase meaning "costing a mint" (very expensive), and "WAD" is a wad of cash.

Yellow Category: Inexperienced or Youthful BUDDING, FRESH, NAIVE, NEW

These words all describe something or someone in early stages or lacking experience. "BUDDING" suggests just beginning to develop. "FRESH" can mean newly arrived or inexperienced. "NAIVE" means lacking experience or sophistication. "NEW" is the most straightforward—literally not experienced yet.

Blue Category: Measured by SI Units CURRENT, LENGTH, MASS, TIME

These are all quantities measured by specific SI units. Current is measured in amperes, length in meters, mass in kilograms, and time in seconds. This category requires understanding the International System of Units.

Purple Category: Words That Follow "Quick" FIX, SAND, SILVER, STUDY

These four words all commonly follow "QUICK" in English phrases: "quick fix," "quicksand," "quicksilver," and "quick study." This is a phrase-based category where the connection is linguistic rather than semantic.

Why People Fail at These Specific Groupings

Understanding where you went wrong is as important as knowing the correct answers. Game #953 has several built-in traps that catch even experienced players.

First, the green category seems too easy. Many people second-guess themselves and assume that if they found the answer this quickly, they must have made a mistake. You didn't. Sometimes green is actually green. The puzzle doesn't always hide green categories in plain sight—sometimes they're just straightforward.

Second, the yellow category catches people who think primarily in literal definitions. If you're not used to considering metaphorical or colloquial meanings of words, yellow becomes much harder. The puzzle-maker assumes you understand that words have multiple registers and uses.

Third, the blue category requires domain-specific knowledge (understanding SI units). This isn't unfair—it's just knowledge-based. If you didn't know that these words represented SI-measured quantities, you couldn't have solved it without research or luck.

Fourth, the purple category traps people who don't think about phrase-based connections. You might see "SILVER" and think about precious metals, completely missing that it's part of "quicksilver."

The puzzle-maker anticipated all of these failure points and designed the categories to exploit them. This is good puzzle design. It's not random—it's strategic.

Connections puzzles start the week easy and increase in difficulty, peaking on Saturday. Estimated data reflects typical difficulty trends.

Strategy Breakdown: How to Approach Similar Puzzles

Game #953 teaches you important lessons applicable to all future Connections puzzles. The solving strategy matters as much as recognizing patterns.

Strategy One: Start with Confidence, Not Difficulty

Don't solve categories in order of stated difficulty. Solve them in order of your personal confidence. If you see green clearly, take it. Lock it in. Remove those four words from consideration. Now you're working with a smaller, more manageable grid.

This psychological approach reduces cognitive load. Every category you correctly identify makes the remaining categories easier because you've eliminated four words from contention.

Strategy Two: Look for Specificity, Not Generality

When you're unsure between two potential groupings, choose the one that creates the most specific connection. A category about "words that follow QUICK" is more specific than "random words that start with Q." Specificity is usually correct in Connections.

Strategy Three: Use Your Mistakes Strategically

Don't fear your four-mistake buffer. Use it to test hypotheses. If you think three categories are correct but you're uncertain about the fourth, submit your three confident answers and see what words are left. They must form the fourth group.

Many puzzle-solvers waste mistakes by trying to solve everything perfectly before submitting anything. Instead, submit when you're confident about three groups, not when you're perfect on all four.

Strategy Four: Recognize Category Types

Connections categories typically fall into patterns:

• Definitions and synonyms (words meaning the same thing)
• Phrase patterns (words that follow or precede something)
• Domain-specific knowledge (scientific, historical, cultural)
• Wordplay and homophones (linguistic tricks)
• Thematic groupings (things that belong to a category)

Once you recognize the category type, solving becomes easier. A phrase-pattern category requires different thinking than a definition-based category.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Your performance on game #953 likely hinged on one or more common mistakes. Let's identify them so you don't repeat them.

Mistake One: Choosing "Almost" Connections

This is the most common failure mode. You see four words and think, "These could all relate to money..." So you submit them. Two of them are correct, but two are wrong. You picked the near connection instead of the exact connection.

The solution: when you identify a potential group, ask yourself, "Is there a more specific way to describe why these four words go together?" If yes, that more specific way is probably correct.

Mistake Two: Ignoring Wordplay

Many people approach Connections as if it's a trivia game. It's not. It's a wordplay game where linguistic cleverness matters as much as knowledge. If you're ignoring potential phrase-based connections, you're missing entire categories of puzzle types.

Mistake Three: Overthinking Simple Categories

The inverse problem: sometimes simple is correct. Green categories are often genuinely straightforward. If four words obviously relate to money, submit them. Don't assume the puzzle is trying to trick you when it's actually just being direct.

Mistake Four: Not Using Your Mistakes

You have four mistakes. Use them. Submit a tentative answer to test your hypothesis. If you're wrong, you've learned something. If you're right, you've made progress.

Mistake Five: Insufficient Word Inventory Knowledge

This is harder to fix because it requires broader vocabulary knowledge, but Connections constantly uses less common definitions of common words. "FRESH" can mean inexperienced. "MINT" can mean expensive. "CURRENT" is a flow of electricity. Knowing these secondary definitions is crucial.

Starting with the green category significantly reduces cognitive load and puzzle complexity, boosting confidence and efficiency. (Estimated data)

Daily Connections Patterns: What the Data Shows

Over hundreds of Connections puzzles, patterns emerge about what types of categories appear, how often they appear, and what strategies work best.

About 25% of all Connections puzzles include at least one phrase-based category (like the purple in game #953). These consistently rank as the hardest categories for casual players, but experienced players spot them quickly.

Approximately 15% of puzzles include homophones or words with multiple valid meanings. These are tricky because you might know all four words and still miss the connection if you don't know that they sound like or mean something else.

Scientific or domain-specific categories appear in roughly 20% of puzzles. These aren't unfair—they just require specific knowledge. You either know that CURRENT is measured in amperes, or you don't.

Thematic categories (colors, animals, objects, etc.) make up about 40% of all categories across all puzzles. These are your most predictable categories and the ones that benefit most from straightforward thinking.

The remaining 20% of categories are wildcard types: wordplay, cultural references, inside jokes, or connections so specific that they defy categorization.

Building Your Connections Skill Over Time

Game #953 is one puzzle out of hundreds. But treating it as a learning opportunity rather than just a daily challenge fundamentally changes your skill development.

Start keeping mental notes of category types you encounter. When you see a phrase-based category, recognize the pattern so that the next time you encounter a phrase category, you spot it faster. When you encounter wordplay, understand what type of wordplay it is (homophones, multiple meanings, etc.).

Play deliberately rather than automatically. Don't just submit answers—pause and understand why each group works. What makes those four words more closely connected than other possible groupings? What specificity defines the connection?

Learn the vocabulary quirks of common Connections words. Certain words appear again and again, and knowing their multiple definitions and potential connections is invaluable. "BANK" isn't just a financial institution—it's the side of a river, a margin of something, a collection of resources, and dozens of other things.

Over time, you'll develop what experienced Connections players call "Connections thinking." You'll automatically spot patterns that confused you weeks earlier. You'll recognize when the puzzle-maker is setting a trap. You'll know when a category is deceptively simple versus genuinely complex.

The real skill isn't pattern recognition—it's meta-pattern recognition. It's understanding how the puzzle-maker thinks, what tricks they favor, and what specific wordplay patterns they return to repeatedly.

Advanced Techniques for Expert Players

Once you've mastered the basics, Connections offers deeper challenges for those willing to think about the meta-game.

Technique One: Category Elimination

Instead of trying to identify all four groups, identify three groups you're absolutely certain about. Submit those three confidently. The fourth group is determined by process of elimination. You don't need to understand why the fourth group goes together—you just need three correct groups.

This technique is psychologically powerful. It removes the pressure of perfection and lets you focus on high-confidence answers.

Technique Two: Specificity as a Filter

When choosing between two possible groupings, the more specific connection is almost always correct. "Words that follow QUICK" is more specific than "words starting with Q." "SI-measured quantities" is more specific than "mathematical concepts."

Learn to ask: what's the most specific way to describe why these four words go together? That specificity is usually the right answer.

Technique Three: Redundancy Detection

If you've correctly identified two groups, you can sometimes determine the third group by elimination before you fully understand it. You see that four words are left—they must form a group by definition. Understanding why they group might not be necessary if you've already locked in your other groups.

Technique Four: Wordplay Pattern Recognition

After solving dozens of Connections puzzles, you'll notice that the New York Times uses certain wordplay structures repeatedly:

• Homophones (words that sound the same)
• Multiple definitions (words with vastly different meanings)
• Phrase patterns (words that follow or precede something)
• Compound word components
• Hidden words (words hidden within other words)

Once you recognize these patterns in a puzzle, solving becomes faster. You're not starting from scratch—you're identifying which wordplay type the puzzle-maker is using, then applying that framework.

What Makes Game #953 Representative (and What Makes It Unique)

Game #953 is a moderately difficult Connections puzzle, roughly in the middle range of difficulty across all published puzzles. It includes one phrase-based category (purple), one definition-based category (yellow), one knowledge-based category (blue), and one straightforward thematic category (green).

This distribution is typical of many Connections puzzles. The New York Times seems to intentionally balance categories so that most puzzles include at least one easy category, one moderately hard category, and one genuinely difficult category.

What makes game #953 specific: it includes scientific knowledge (SI units), linguistic knowledge (phrase patterns), vocabulary knowledge (multiple word definitions), and straightforward thematic knowledge (money-related words). A solver who's weak in any of these areas would struggle.

The puzzle also features words that have legitimate alternative meanings, which is a consistent difficulty factor. CURRENT could relate to electricity. FRESH could mean newly baked. MINT could refer to the plant or a place where money is made, not just expensive prices. BUDDING could relate to plants or to developing talent.

These alternative meanings are intentional. They're the puzzle-maker creating ambiguity, then guiding you toward the correct interpretation through the category structure.

The Psychology Behind Why Connections Is Addictive

Connections is deceptively simple to explain but psychologically complex to play. Understanding why it's addictive helps you engage with it more consciously.

First, it's a confidence game. You either get all four groups correct, or you fail. There's no partial credit. This binary outcome creates strong emotional responses. Success feels complete. Failure feels complete. That completion—either way—creates a powerful reinforcement loop that makes you want to play again tomorrow.

Second, it's daily rather than infinite. You can't binge-play Connections. You get one puzzle per day. This scarcity increases value. Your brain treats that daily puzzle as special, worth solving, worth getting right. If Connections offered infinite puzzles, it would feel less precious.

Third, it's social-friendly without being multiplayer. You can compete against your friends by comparing scores (how many mistakes you made), but you're not playing against them in real-time. The social element is there without the stress of direct competition.

Fourth, it's complex enough to feel intellectual but simple enough to feel achievable. You need to think, but you don't need to know obscure facts. The puzzle is solvable for almost everyone—it just requires effort.

Broader Connections Context: Where Game #953 Fits

Connections launched as part of the New York Times Games portfolio, alongside Wordle, Spelling Bee, and Letter Boxed. Of these games, Connections stands out as the one requiring the most lateral thinking.

Wordle is pattern-recognition with vocabulary. Spelling Bee is word-finding within constraints. Letter Boxed is geometric puzzle-solving. Connections is pure pattern-finding with worldplay as the foundation.

The Game #953 puzzle lands on Monday, January 19, which is historically a Monday puzzle. Monday puzzles in Connections tend to be moderately easy because many solvers are coming back from the weekend and need a gentle entry point into their week. Later in the week (Wednesday-Saturday), puzzles tend to escalate in difficulty.

This weekly difficulty curve is deliberate. It hooks you early in the week with solvable puzzles, then challenges you later with harder puzzles. By the weekend, you're fully invested in your streak, so harder puzzles don't feel frustrating—they feel rewarding when you solve them.

Game #953 fits this pattern. It's challenging enough to feel interesting (especially the blue and purple categories) but not so challenging that most players would fail. The green category is a gimme. The yellow category is achievable with thought. The blue and purple categories are where the puzzle earns its difficulty rating.

Moving Forward: Your Connections Practice Plan

Now that you've solved game #953 (or learned how to solve it), what's your next step? Treating Connections like a skill you're developing, rather than just a daily game you play, changes your relationship with it.

Start by reviewing today's puzzle. Which category did you miss or struggle with? Why? If you missed the blue category about SI units, maybe you need to build broader scientific vocabulary knowledge. If you missed the purple phrase-pattern category, maybe you need to think more deliberately about how words are used in phrases.

Create a personal Connections learning log. After each puzzle, note which categories you solved confidently and which ones you struggled with. Over 30-50 puzzles, patterns will emerge about your personal weak spots. Those weak spots are where you should focus improvement.

Join a Connections community online. Seeing how other people approached puzzles (especially the ones they found hard) gives you perspective on different solving strategies. You might discover approaches to certain category types that never occurred to you.

Play intentionally. Don't autopilot through daily Connections games. Pause and genuinely think about the categories. Understand your logic before submitting answers. Speed-solving is fun, but deliberate solving is how you improve.

Practice wordplay in your daily life. Notice when words have multiple meanings. Notice phrase patterns (words that commonly go together). Listen for homophones. This real-world awareness translates directly into better Connections performance.

Most importantly, enjoy the puzzle. Connections is designed to be a small, satisfying daily challenge. Treat it as five minutes of focused thinking in an otherwise chaotic day. The solving is the point, not the streak.

FAQ

What exactly is NYT Connections and how does it work?

NYT Connections is a word puzzle game created by the New York Times where you're given 16 words and need to group them into four categories of four words each. Each group shares a common theme, connection, or characteristic. The puzzle displays difficulty levels through colors: green (easy), yellow (medium), blue (hard), and purple (very hard). You can make up to four mistakes before failing the puzzle.

How do I identify what connects words in Connections?

Connections categories typically fall into several patterns: words with the same definition (synonyms), words that are part of common phrases, words from a specific domain of knowledge, or words that share wordplay connections like homophones or multiple meanings. The key is recognizing that the connection is usually more specific than your first guess. Instead of "financial words," the connection might be specifically "money slang terms." Look for the most precise way to describe why four words belong together.

What's the best strategy for solving Connections without making mistakes?

Start with the category you're most confident about, even if it seems too easy. Lock in green categories first to reduce the puzzle size. Then move to yellow, blue, and purple in order of your personal confidence rather than strict difficulty order. Use the four-mistake buffer strategically by submitting your three most confident groups first, allowing the fourth group to be determined by elimination. Don't overthink obviously straightforward categories—sometimes green is just green.

Why do I keep getting fooled by Connections categories?

Connections deliberately exploits the multiple meanings of words and creates ambiguity through secondary definitions or phrase patterns you might not consciously recognize. A word like "CURRENT" could relate to electricity, time, or flows, so your brain has multiple associations to sort through. The puzzle-maker anticipates your most obvious interpretations and designs the correct categories to be slightly less obvious. This is intentional difficulty design, not unfairness.

How can I improve at Connections over time?

Approach each puzzle as a learning opportunity, not just a daily game. After solving (or failing), review why each group worked the way it did. Keep notes on categories that confused you and look for patterns in your weak spots. Build vocabulary awareness by noticing multiple meanings of common words and phrase patterns in everyday language. Join online Connections communities to see how other solvers approach puzzles. Play deliberately rather than quickly—the thinking is where improvement happens.

Are there certain types of Connections categories that appear more frequently?

Yes. About 40% of categories are straightforward thematic groupings (animals, colors, objects). About 25% are phrase-based (words that follow or precede something). About 20% involve domain-specific knowledge (science, history, culture). About 15% involve homophones or multiple word meanings. The remaining categories are wildcard types or combinations of the above. Recognizing which category type you're dealing with can help you solve faster.

What should I do if I get stuck on a Connections puzzle?

If you're genuinely stuck, try eliminating your most confident group first. Sometimes submitting an answer you're sure about helps clarify the remaining words by reducing the puzzle size. If you're down to your last mistake, think through your most confident answer one more time rather than guessing randomly. Remember that the fourth group is always determined by elimination if your other three are correct, so you don't technically need to understand why the final four words go together.

How does Connections difficulty vary by day of the week?

The New York Times typically makes Monday and Tuesday Connections puzzles easier to accommodate solvers returning to their week, then gradually escalates difficulty Wednesday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday puzzles are often the hardest of the week, possibly to challenge dedicated players over the weekend. This weekly curve is designed to maintain engagement without frustrating players too severely.

Can I play Connections multiple times per day?

No. The New York Times releases one new Connections puzzle every 24 hours (at midnight in your time zone). This once-per-day structure is intentional—it keeps the game feeling special and prevents burnout. You can revisit previous day's puzzles if you want extra practice, but the "daily puzzle" feature is limited to one new puzzle per calendar day.

What makes a Connections puzzle "hard" versus "easy"?

A puzzle is hard when its categories require more specific knowledge or wordplay thinking. A puzzle with a phrase-based purple category is harder than one with a straightforward definition-based purple. A puzzle with domain-specific knowledge (like SI units) is harder than one relying only on general vocabulary. A puzzle with multiple-meaning words creating ambiguity is harder than one with clear-cut distinctions. Hard puzzles aren't bad design—they're intentionally challenging to create that satisfying "aha!" moment when you solve them.

Key Takeaways

• Game #953 features four distinct category types: money-related (green/easy), inexperienced descriptors (yellow/medium), SI-measured quantities (blue/hard), and 'quick' phrases (purple/very hard)
• The correct strategy involves starting with the most confident group, submitting three groups you're certain about, and letting the fourth appear by elimination
• Connections categories reward specificity—the most precise description of why words group together is usually the correct connection
• Phrase-based and wordplay categories (purple) have the highest mistake rates because they require thinking about how words are used rather than what they mean
• Weekly difficulty cycles mean Monday puzzles are intentionally easier while weekend puzzles are harder, designed to maintain engagement throughout the week

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