Monday, October 14 (Connections #491)

A new day brings with it more of The New York Times Connections. We’re here to give you some hints, some even more hints, and the straight up answers to October 14’s puzzle.

The New York Times has previously made puzzle games such as Wordle and, although it looks simpler in comparison, Connections can get quite confusing, especially with its peculiar use of unconventional word meanings.

Understanding Connections is simple: you are given 16 words and 4 chances to mess up. Your objective is to ‘connect‘ these 16 words by grouping them into groups of 4 based on similar word meanings and/or themes. What’s great about it is that it you can really just pick up and play right off the bat.

October 14’s word choices are interesting, to say the least. If you’re having trouble figuring out today’s puzzle, gradually scroll on down, and you’ll get basic tips, some more direct hints, and the solution to your conundrum.

Let’s get started. Here are the 16 words we’ll be working with today:

In Connections, each group of words is color coded, these being yellow, green, blue, and purple. Here are some hints for today:

• Yellow: Start looking through something.
• Green: Ride the Lightening!
• Blue: Related to hair.
• Purple: Think the photosynthetic part of a plant! Now think about its different meanings in relation to other items.

If you’re still having trouble figuring out the answers, here are some more hints that can help you get closer to the solution for today:

• Additional Hint 1: Two words have very direct meanings to the group name. The other two (at first glance) seem like they should be part of the Blue and Purple Groups.
• Additional Hint 2: It’s storming outside. Classify all the things you’re hearing and put those words in the group.
• Additional Hint 3: This one is all about hair styling.
• Additional Hint 4: Leaves are where you want to direct your attention to. And leaves don’t have ‘roots‘.

If you still haven’t got it, let’s try making it a slight bit easier.

Connections can get confusing. If you still haven’t figured it out, perhaps knowing the group names will help. Here they are:

• Rummage
• Sounds Of Thunder
• Ways To Wear Your Hair Up
• Things That Can Have Leaves

If you still couldn’t figure it out, no worries. Here is the solution for today’s Connections puzzle.

• Rummage: Comb, Dig, Root, Sift
• Sounds Of Thunder: Clap, Peal, Roll, Rumble
• Ways To Wear Your Hair Up: Braid, Bun, Pony, Twist
• Things That Can Have Leaves: Book, Salad, Table, Tree

The Sounds of Thunder one was probably the simplest of the bunch. The Table Leaf and Book Leaf probably threw you off guard, but you could assume they would go in the same group. Comb not being part of the hair category is incredibly tricky to get. Don’t fret if you didn’t get it this time around.

By far, one of the most confusing parts of today’s New York Times was, of course, the Comb thing, but also Root not being part of the Leaves category. At first, putting Tree and Root together must’ve felt like the obvious choice, but in hindsight, the Leaves category actually makes a lot of sense.

Regardless, that’s what makes Connections fun. Its weird combinations of words make for a really engaging time especially when played with friends or family all trying to figure it out at the same time.

Today’s puzzle was a tricky one. Pat yourself on the back if you got it. Remember, there’s always tomorrow’s game to look out for, and if you haven’t already, be sure to check out October 13’s puzzle if you want to play through the archives.

Did you get today’s solution? Which group and words were the most confusing for you? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back tomorrow for more New York Times Connections.