NYT Connections Game #1242 for November 4 puts a few familiar words in unexpectedly sharp company. The trick is spotting which ones belong together before a tempting overlap sends you down the wrong path.
There’s a fairly solid foothold in the board, but the final group asks you to think beyond the words’ most obvious meanings.
SPOILER WARNING: Hints and answers for today’s Connections are below.
Today’s NYT Connections words
Here are the 16 words on today’s board:
- FLY | POKE | IRON | WORKS
- WOOD | WRING | WEDGE | BLEACH
- PUTTER | CRACKER | DOORSTOP | LOLL
- FLATIRON BUILDING | SHUFFLE | TUMBLE DRY | PIE SLICE
Today’s NYT Connections hints
Need a nudge before you commit to a group? Try these hints:
- 🟡 Yellow: Look for four things with a tapering shape and a sharp edge.
- 🟢 Green: These words can complete a familiar instruction on clothing labels.
- 🔵 Blue: Add the same word after each of these to describe an unhurried action.
- 🟣 Purple: Try placing the same four-letter word before each answer.
Today’s NYT Connections group titles
- 🟡 Yellow: TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE
- 🟢 Green: WORDS AFTER “DO NOT” ON A CARE LABEL
- 🔵 Blue: MOVE IDLY, WITH “AROUND”
- 🟣 Purple: FIRE___
What are today’s NYT Connections answers?
Here are the four groups, ordered from easiest to hardest:
| Colour | Group | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 Yellow | TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE | DOORSTOP, FLATIRON BUILDING, PIE SLICE, WEDGE |
| 🟢 Green | WORDS AFTER “DO NOT” ON A CARE LABEL | BLEACH, IRON, TUMBLE DRY, WRING |
| 🔵 Blue | MOVE IDLY, WITH “AROUND” | LOLL, POKE, PUTTER, SHUFFLE |
| 🟣 Purple | FIRE___ | CRACKER, FLY, WOOD, WORKS |
Today’s Connections — expert analysis
Yellow is the natural entry point: DOORSTOP and WEDGE are easy to picture, while PIE SLICE and FLATIRON BUILDING share that tapering, sharp-edged shape. It’s a useful safe guess because the group is grounded in what the objects look like, rather than a more slippery word association.
Purple is the hardest group because its link only clicks when you put FIRE before each word: CRACKER, FLY, WOOD and WORKS. The board also gives you a lexical decoy in IRON and FLATIRON BUILDING; spotting “iron” in the building’s name can pull attention away from the shape-based Yellow group. FLY and WORKS look like awkward leftovers until that final-word pattern appears.
If you’re stuck, bank the Yellow group first, then test the care-label phrasing with BLEACH, IRON, TUMBLE DRY and WRING. For Blue, listen for the shared “around” after LOLL, POKE, PUTTER and SHUFFLE.
Difficulty: 3.5/5 — the shape and care-label groups offer footholds, but the compound-word finish is easy to miss.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Game #1241)
Yesterday’s Game #1241 grouped words about persistence, wheels, restaurant service and menu-bar endings.
- 🟡 Yellow (KEEP GOING): CARRY ON, CONTINUE, PROCEED, RESUME
- 🟢 Green (THINGS WITH WHEELS): OFFICE CHAIR, ROLLER BAG, SHOPPING CART, STROLLER
- 🔵 Blue (THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT): CHECK, FOOD, MENU, TAP WATER
- 🟣 Purple (ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS): CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE, WHELP
What is NYT Connections?
Connections is a word-grouping puzzle from The New York Times. The aim is to sort 16 words into four groups of four, with each group linked by a shared theme.
How to play NYT Connections
- Look for a connection among four of the 16 words and select them as a group.
- Repeat until you have found all four groups of four.
- Use the colour clues to gauge the groups’ difficulty: yellow is easiest, followed by green, blue and purple.
- Watch for words that could fit more than one tempting pattern before you submit a group.
Past week’s NYT Connections answers
Missed a day? Full solutions from earlier this week, newest first.
Game #1240 — November 2
- 🟡 THINGS TO BRING ON A TREK: BACKPACK, COMPASS, HIKING BOOTS, WATER BOTTLE
- 🟢 ANGER: INCENSE, NETTLE, PIQUE, WIND UP
- 🔵 MIST MAKERS: DRY ICE, FOG MACHINE, HUMIDIFIER, WATERFALL
- 🟣 THINGS WITH MIRRORS: DISCO BALL, DRESSING ROOM, KALEIDOSCOPE, MEDICINE CABINET
Game #1239 — November 1
- 🟡 KINDS OF TEETH: BICUSPID, CANINE, INCISOR, MOLAR
- 🟢 KINDS OF LOVE: BROTHERLY, PUPPY, SELF, UNREQUITED
- 🔵 ENTHUSIAST: FIEND, HEAD, HOUND, LOVER
- 🟣 SYNONYMS FOR “SOAKED” WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DOGGY, MATURATED, TRENCHED, TRIPPING
Game #1238 — October 31
- 🟡 WORDS MEANING GOOD THAT SOUND BAD: GNARLY, KILLER, SICK, WICKED
- 🟢 MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS: DIRTY, DRY, SHAKEN, UP
- 🔵 THINGS WITH STRINGS: GUITAR, MARIONETTE, TASSEL, TENNIS RACKET
- 🟣 STARTING WITH DOG COMMANDS: DOWNFALL, SHAKESPEARE, SITCOM, STAYCATION
Game #1237 — October 30
- 🟡 PARTS OF A CAMERA: FLASH, LENS, SHUTTER, VIEWFINDER
- 🟢 AROUND A THEATER STAGE: BACKDROP, CURTAIN, PIT, WINGS
- 🔵 THROW ___: HANDS, PILLOW, RUG, SHADE
- 🟣 FRUIT WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED: DEMON, DRAPE, GLUM, GRANGE
Game #1236 — October 29
- 🟡 THINGS YOU PUT COINS INTO: PARKING METER, PAYPHONE, PIGGY BANK, WISHING WELL
- 🟢 ASSOCIATED WITH PENGUINS: ANTARCTICA, EMPEROR, TUXEDO, WADDLE
- 🔵 ENDS OF FAMOUS FONTS: GOTHIC, ROMAN, SANS, TYPEWRITER
- 🟣 THINGS THAT FEATURE THREE COLORS: CALICO, CANDY CORN, NEAPOLITAN, TRAFFIC LIGHT
Game #1235 — October 28
- 🟡 ROMANTIC LIKING: ATTRACTION, CRUSH, FEELINGS, INTEREST
- 🟢 COMPONENTS OF AN EMAIL: ATTACHMENT, BODY, SIGNATURE, SUBJECT
- 🔵 NASA MARS ROVERS: CURIOSITY, OPPORTUNITY, PERSEVERANCE, SPIRIT
- 🟣 HOMOPHONES OF PATHS: COARSE, RODE, ROUT, WEIGH
More daily puzzle help from HashTechWave
- Today’s NYT Strands hints, spangram and answers
- Today’s NYT Spelling Bee answers and pangram
- Today’s Wordle hints, clues and answer
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What time does a new NYT Connections puzzle unlock?
A brand-new puzzle drops every single night at midnight local time across your specific region’s time zone on NYT Connection official site.
Why do some words seem to fit into two different groups?
The puzzle is specifically designed to include “decoys” or overlapping vocabulary. Always look for a backup configuration of words before locking in an early guess to protect your attempt counter.
Can I review answers to older puzzles?
Yes — we keep the past week of solutions right here on this page. Scroll up to the “Past week’s NYT Connections answers” section for every recent grid, newest first, plus a full breakdown of yesterday’s puzzle.
