When you’re on the lookout for the Connections reply for Saturday, December 9, 2023, learn on—I’ll share some clues, suggestions, and techniques, and at last the options to all 4 classes. Alongside the way in which, I’ll clarify the meanings of the trickier phrases and we’ll learn the way the whole lot matches collectively. Beware, there are spoilers beneath for December 9, NYT Connections #181! Learn on if you need some hints (after which the reply) to as we speak’s Connections sport.
If you’d like a straightforward technique to come again to our Connections hints on daily basis, bookmark this web page. You can even discover our previous hints there as properly, in case you wish to know what you missed in a earlier puzzle.
Beneath, I’ll offer you some indirect hints at as we speak’s Connections solutions. And farther down the web page, I’ll reveal the themes and the solutions. Scroll slowly and take simply the hints you want!
Credit score: Connections/NYT
Does as we speak’s Connections sport require any particular data?
Nothing too out of the bizarre as we speak.
Hints for the themes in as we speak’s Connections puzzle
Listed here are some spoiler-free hints for the groupings in as we speak’s Connections:
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Yellow class – Get these on the malt store.
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Inexperienced class – And these on the {hardware} store.
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Blue class – These are slippery.
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Purple class – And these are the alternative of slippery.
Does as we speak’s Connections sport contain any wordplay?
There’s a fill-in-the-blank for the purple class.
Prepared to listen to the solutions? Hold scrolling if you need a bit extra assist.
BEWARE: Spoilers comply with for as we speak’s Connections puzzle!
We’re about to offer away a few of the solutions. Scroll slowly should you don’t need the entire thing spoiled. (The total resolution is a bit additional down.)
What are the ambiguous phrases in as we speak’s Connections?
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A WICKET is the little wire archway you hit the ball by means of in croquet. There may be additionally a WICKET in cricket, the game that appears like bizarro world baseball. It’s from cricket we get the phrase “sticky WICKET,” which means a tough state of affairs.
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To FLOAT is to remain above water, actually or metaphorically; it’s additionally what you name it while you drop a scoop of ice cream right into a glass of root beer (a “root beer FLOAT”).
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One thing very attention-grabbing can RIVET you to your seat, however that comes from the which means of RIVET as a fastener. (Denims, for instance, famously use RIVETs to bolster the pocket seams.)
What are the classes in as we speak’s Connections?
DOUBLE BEWARE: THE SOLUTION IS BELOW
Able to study the solutions to as we speak’s Connections puzzle? I give all of them away beneath.
What are the yellow phrases in as we speak’s Connections?
The yellow grouping is taken into account to be probably the most simple. The theme for as we speak’s yellow group is ICE CREAM TREATS and the phrases are: FLOAT, SHAKE, SPLIT, SUNDAE.
What are the inexperienced phrases in as we speak’s Connections?
The inexperienced grouping is meant to be the second-easiest. The theme for as we speak’s inexperienced class is HARDWARE FASTENERS and the phrases are: BOLT, NAIL, RIVET, SCREW.
What are the blue phrases in as we speak’s Connections?
The blue grouping is the second-hardest. The theme for as we speak’s blue class is COOKING OILS and the phrases are: CORN, OLIVE, PALM, PEANUT
What are the purple phrases in as we speak’s Connections?
The purple grouping is taken into account to be the toughest. The theme for as we speak’s purple class is STICKY ____ and the phrases are: FINGERS, NOTE, RICE, WICKET.
How I solved as we speak’s Connections
I get the oils first: PALM, OLIVE, CORN, PEANUT. 🟦 Then I see the “sticky” issues: FINGERS, WICKET, NOTE, and the scrumptious dish sticky RICE. (I’m simply glad they didn’t attempt to put “stick” on this class, like they did final time.) 🟪
BOLT, NAIL, RIVET, and SCREW fairly clearly go collectively. 🟩 That leaves us with desserts: FLOAT, SHAKE, SUNDAE, and a banana SPLIT. 🟨
Connections Puzzle #181 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟨🟨🟨🟨
The right way to play Connections
I’ve a full information to taking part in Connections, however right here’s a refresher on the principles:
First, discover the Connections sport both on the New York Instances web site or of their Crossword app. You’ll see a sport board with 16 tiles, every with one phrase or phrase. Your job is to pick out a gaggle of 4 tiles which have one thing in widespread. Usually they’re all the identical kind of factor (for instance: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all kinds of moist climate) however typically there’s wordplay concerned (for instance, BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH are all kinds of lists: bucket listing, visitor listing, and so forth).
Choose 4 gadgets and hit the Submit button. When you guessed accurately, the class and coloration can be revealed. (Yellow is best, adopted by inexperienced, then blue, then purple.) In case your guess was incorrect, you’ll get an opportunity to strive once more.
You win while you’ve accurately recognized all 4 teams. However should you make 4 errors earlier than you end, the sport ends and the solutions are revealed.
The right way to win Connections
Crucial factor to know to win Connections is that the groupings are designed to be tough. Anticipate to see overlapping teams. For instance, one puzzle appeared to incorporate six breakfast meals: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. However BACON turned out to be a part of a gaggle of painters together with CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, and EGG was in a gaggle of issues that come by the dozen (together with JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). So don’t hit “submit” till you’ve confirmed that your group of 4 accommodates solely these 4 issues.
When you’re caught, one other technique is to take a look at the phrases that appear to have no connection to the others. If all that involves thoughts while you see WHISTLER is the portray nicknamed “Whistler’s Mom,” you is likely to be on to one thing. After I solved that one, I ended up googling whether or not there was a painter named Shut, as a result of Shut didn’t match any of the apparent themes, both.
One other technique to win while you’re caught is, clearly, to learn a number of useful hints–which is why we share these pointers on daily basis. Examine again tomorrow for the subsequent puzzle!
