Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it’s not. Connection categories can be almost anything, and they are usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting answers, we’re here for you.

What are connections?

Connections is a New York Times game. The objective is simple: sort 16 words into groups of 4. Each group of words will be connected by a common idea or theme. This common element could be anything. We’ve seen everything from games that rely on the number of letters in words to categories that require you to spot an extra letter at the end of the word. Sometimes these are references to economics, other times to fairy tales. We don’t know what type of association there will be between the words.

Once you are sure you understand the link, select 4 words, then click “Send”. You only have four attempts total, so don’t just guess.

Tips for Today’s Connections Groups

Here are some tips for the 517th Connections game to help you get started:

If you still need help, the actual names of the groups are:

Answers from today’s NYT Connections

Contorted (yellow):

Bent, knotted, twisted, distorted

Smallest amount (green):

Lick, ounce, shred, trace

Algebra terms (blue):

Exponent, Power, Radical, Root

Words before “room” to designate the toilet (purple):

Bath, Powder, Rest, Throne

How to guess connection groups?

There is no quick and reliable way to approach Connections like there is with Wordle, because Connections is not algorithmic. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that can help.

1. Look for similar parts of speech. Are some words verbs and others nouns? Are there any adjectives? Try to mentally group them according to these categories and see if any other patterns jump out at you.

2. Are the words synonymous? Sometimes categories will simply be synonyms of a phrase, or very close to synonyms. Don’t rely on it too much, though. Sometimes Connections deliberately adds words that are Sometimes synonyms to mislead you.

3. Try to say the words. Sometimes saying the words helps. One puzzle we saw included the words go, rate, faster, clip, pace, speed, move, shift, and hurry, all of which are obviously related to the idea of ​​movement. However, when you say them, it becomes a little more obvious that only four (go, move, hurry up, faster) are things you would actually say to get someone to move.

4. Expect red herring. Connections usually contain words that could be plausibly, but incorrectly, grouped together. Let’s take the words Bud, Corona and Light as an example. You might instinctively see these three words together and assume they’re grouped into a beer-related category, but that wasn’t the case.

5. Look for distinct words. If a word on your board doesn’t have multiple meanings or can only be used in one context, try using that word as the basis for a category.

6. Shuffle the board. Sometimes moving words around will help you look at them from a new perspective.

If you haven’t solved this one, don’t feel too bad, there’s always tomorrow! And these words can relate to a topic that interests you, giving you a leg up on the competition.