May 28 Insights: Uncovering Clues & Answers From Today's New York Times Edition #352

May 28 Insights: Uncovering Clues & Answers From Today’s New York Times Edition #352

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Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn’t—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they’re usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we’ve got you covered.

What Is Connections?

Connections is a game from the New York Times. The objective is simple: sort 16 words into groups of 4. Each group of words will be connected by some common idea or theme. That common element could be anything. We have seen everything from games that rely on the number of letters in the words to categories that require you to spot an extra letter at the end of the word. Sometimes they’re references to economics, other times they reference fairy tales. There is no telling what sort of association there will be between words.

Once you’re confident you understand the connection, select 4 words, then hit “Submit.” You have only four attempts in total, so don’t be too guess-happy.

Hints for Today’s Connections Groups

Here are a few hints for the 352nd Connections game to get you started:

Yellow: Agreeable
Green: The order matters.
Blue: Can you use the word in a sentence?
Purple: They used to be made of tallow.

If you still need help, the actual group names are:

Yellow: Amenable.
Green: Anagrams.
Blue: Spelling Bee Ranks.
Purple: Adjectives for a Candle.

Today’s NYT Connections Answers

Amenable (Yellow):

Easy, Flexible, Open, Receptive

Anagrams (Green):

Evil, Live, Veil, Vile

Spelling Bee Ranks (Blue):

Amazing, Beginning, Genius, Sound

Adjectives For a Candle (Purple):

Lit, Scented, Waxy, Wicked

How Did We Solve This Connections Game?

May 28th was tougher than yesterday’s game and harder than average.

The first group I spotted was Yellow, “Amenable.” Open and receptive can be synonyms when used in the context of “open to an idea.” Easy and flexible are also vaguely related to that idea, as in “being open to spontaneous plans”, or “having a flexible schedule.” They were similar enough to risk a guess, and it worked out.

Amazing and genius seem like they should be together, but none of the other words fit well. Lit might fit, as in “That party was totally lit,” but it seemed like a stretch. I toyed around with a few other words, but literally nothing seemed to fit so I moved on.

Lit, scented, waxy, and wicked are all terms that could apply to a candle, so that seemed like a fair bet. Purple was “Adjectives for a Candle.”

With only 8 words left, something odd struck me about evil, live, veil, and vile: they all have the same letters. There was just no way that was a coincidence, so I threw them together in a group. Green was “Anagrams.”

That left amazing, beginning, genius, and sound. Try as I might, I couldn’t see the connection. It turns out that Blue was “Spelling Bee Ranks.” That will be a tough one for anyone that has never participated in a spelling bee.

How Do You Guess Connections Groups?

There is no quick, reliable way to approach Connections like there is with Wordle, since Connections isn’t algorithmic. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that can help.

Look for similar parts of speech. Are some words verbs and others nouns? Are some adjectives? Try mentally grouping them based on those categories and see if any other patterns jump out at you.
Are the words synonyms? Sometimes categories will just be synonyms for a phrase, or very close to synonyms. Don’t rely too closely on this, though. Occasionally, Connections will deliberately throw in words that are sometimes synonyms to mislead you.
Try saying the words. Sometimes, saying the words helps. One puzzle we saw included the words go, rate, faster, clip, pace, speed, move, commute, and hurry—all of which are obviously related to the idea of motion. However, when you say them, it becomes a little more obvious that only four (go, move, hurry, faster) are things you’d actually say to prompt someone to get moving.
Expect the red herring . Connections usually has words that could be plausibly, yet incorrectly, grouped together. Take the words Bud, Corona, and Light, as an example. You might instinctively see those three words together and assume they’re lumped together in a category related to beer—but they weren’t.
Look for distinct words. If a word on your board doesn’t have multiple meanings or can really only be used in one context, try using that word as the basis for a category.
Shuffle the board. Sometimes, moving words around will help you look at them in new ways.

If you didn’t solve this one, don’t feel too bad—there’s always tomorrow! And those words may align with a topic you’re interested in, giving you a leg up on the competition.

Some Guidance