In today’s Connections game, players must group 16 words into four categories based on connections among them. The groups include “rationale” for concepts like BASIS and REASON, “types of snow” such as CRUST and POWDER, “last words of famous opera titles” including BESS and BUTTERFLY, and “real _____” with words like DEAL and MADRID. The game encourages social interaction through Discord, where players can discuss strategies and provide feedback. Hints are provided for each group, and subscribers can access an archive of past games. Enjoy the vibrant gaming community and stay engaged!
Discover the connections between the words to conquer today’s game of Connections.
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Before we dive into today’s hints and solutions for Connections, here are the ones from Wednesday:
Hello, Connectors! I hope your week is going wonderfully.
Please keep me in your thoughts. I’m in a bit of a bind. Yes, Fortnite has reeled me back in once again.
This happens every few months. A new feature or two draws me back in, I remember how enjoyable it is, and I immerse myself once more. This time, it was a mix of a couple of new emotes (one featuring Chappell Roan’s “Hot To Go” and another inspired by the dance from “Ratatata” by Babymetal and Electric Callboy) alongside a Star Wars-themed season.
I’m not an avid Star Wars fan, but the crossover is excellently executed. It’s quite a sight to look up after a lightsaber duel to see a massive Death Star looming over the island. Plus, it’s a blast to perform the “Ratatata” dance after defeating an enemy squad. There are countless reasons why Fortnite ranks among the biggest games globally, but the key reason is how incredibly fun it is.
Before we start, we have a wonderful community on Discord where we discuss NYT Connections, the rest of the NYT games, and various other topics. Everyone who has joined is delightful. It’s a great space to hang out, and you’re warmly invited to join us.
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Discord also serves as the best place to share any feedback about this column, especially on those rare (or frequent) occasions when I make a mistake. I don’t check comments or Twitter very often. You can also catch my weekend editions of this column in my new newsletter, Pastimes.
Today’s NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, May 15 are on their way.
How To Play Connections
Connections is a free, widely enjoyed New York Times daily word game. A new puzzle drops at midnight each day. You can play on the NYT’s website or on the Games app.
You’ll see a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to arrange them into four groups of four by identifying the connections between them. The groups could include items you can click, names for research study participants, or words that pair with a specific body part.
Each puzzle has just one solution, so it’s essential to be cautious with words that might belong to more than one group. You can shuffle the words if it helps you spot connections.
Each group is color-coded. The yellow group is generally the easiest, blue and green are in the middle, and the purple group tends to be the trickiest, often involving wordplay.
Select four words you believe belong together and hit Submit. If you guess incorrectly, you’ll lose a life. If you’re close to a correct group, a message will indicate that you’re just one word away from the right answer, but you’ll still need to determine which word to swap.
If you make four mistakes, it’s game over. Let’s prevent that by using some hints and, if you’re really stuck, the answers for today’s Connections. Just like Wordle and other similar games, it’s easy to share your results with friends on social media or in group chats.
If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can explore the publication’s Connections archive. This archive includes all previous games of Connections, allowing you to revisit any you missed.
Aside from the first 60 games, you should find my hints via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or answers to your search query.
What Are Today’s Connections Hints?
Take it slow! Just after the hints for each of today’s Connections groups, I’ll reveal the categories without immediately listing the words that belong to them.
Today’s 16 words are…
- FLUTE
- MADRID
- GROUNDS
- ICE
- ESTATE
- POWDER
- SEVILLE
- FOUNDATION
- BUTTERFLY
- WORLD
- REASON
- CRUST
- SLUSH
- BASIS
- BESS
- DEAL
And the hints for today’s Connections groups are:
- Yellow group — the foundation of one’s beliefs or arguments
- Green group — I’m thrilled I won’t be seeing this stuff on the ground again for at least another six months
- Blue group — akin to screw, vixen, and bride
- Purple group — authenticity is key
What Are Today’s Connections Groups?
Need a bit of extra assistance?
Be cautious: we’re venturing into spoiler territory.
Today’s Connections groups are…
- Yellow group — rationale
- Green group — varieties of snow
- Blue group — final words from famous opera titles
- Purple group — real ____
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert! Avoid scrolling further down the page until you’re prepared to learn today’s Connections answers.
This is your last warning!
Today’s Connections answers are…
- Yellow group — rationale (BASIS, FOUNDATION, GROUNDS, REASON)
- Green group — types of snow (CRUST, ICE, POWDER, SLUSH)
- Blue group — last words from famous opera titles (BESS, BUTTERFLY, FLUTE, SEVILLE)
- Purple group — real _____ (DEAL, ESTATE, MADRID, WORLD)
Not a perfect game today, but that’s a 79th consecutive win. I’m inching closer to that legendary hundred-game streak. Here are my results:
🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟨🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨
“Real” popped into my head the moment I saw MADRID, making the purples a breeze for me today. The Real World was a long-standing MTV reality show, and “real deal” refers to something or someone that is genuinely impressive or authentic.
POWDER, GROUNDS, and SLUSH appeared to form a coherent group, but I was unsure about the fourth word until ICE came to mind. I thought they might relate to the types of snow used in skiing. Unfortunately, I was one word short on that group. After taking a moment to reflect, I realized CRUST fit better than GROUNDS, completing the greens.
At that stage, the yellows were clear, so I opted to submit the blues first. I vaguely recognized them as referencing either an opera or a play. I was on the right path, at least! This left the yellows for the win.
The blues reference Porgy and BESS (as far as I can tell), Madame BUTTERFLY, The Magic FLUTE, and The Barber of SEVILLE.
That wraps up today’s Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and solutions for Friday’s game if you need them.
P.S. I can’t claim to be the biggest fan of Real Madrid. I lean towards FC Barcelona (even though I enjoyed visiting Madrid more than Barcelona).
Nonetheless, Madrid has experienced tremendous success and outstanding moments. For me, the highlight was during the 2002 Champions League final when Zinedine Zidane scored an absolute gem at Hampden Park, Scotland’s national football stadium. Witness the stunning technique displayed here:
On that note, one of the happiest days of my life was 15 years ago today at the same venue. I attended the match to see my team, Dundee United, defeat Ross County 3-0 to win the Scottish Cup for only the second time in our history. By the way, Harry Kane now boasts the same number of career trophies as one Garry Kenneth.
Anyway, here’s an amazing song that’s quite popular among the United faithful:
Wishing you a fantastic day! Stay hydrated! Reach out to someone you care about!
Please follow my blog for more insights on NYT Connections and other word games, along with some video game news and analyses. It genuinely helps me! Additionally, sharing this column with fellow Connections players would be greatly appreciated. You can also catch my weekend editions of this column in my new newsletter, Pastimes.