Connections, a puzzle game released by The New York Times in June 2023, quickly became one of the most popular games offered by the newspaper, second only to Wordle. In Connections, players are given 16 words that they must group into four sets of four. The game often includes red herrings, making it challenging to determine the correct groupings. While a word can fit into multiple groups, there is only one solution that allows all the words to be correctly grouped. To help players, websites like CNET offer daily answers for Connections, as well as other games like Wordle, Strands, Connections: Sports Edition, and the Mini Crossword.
According to data from an online word-game tool called Word Unscrambler, there is a high demand for hints and solutions for the Connections puzzle. The tool analyzed Google searches for the phrase “Connections hint” throughout the year 2024 and found that Americans were searching for Connections hints 2.4 million times a month, which is significantly more than the searches for Wordle hints. This data indicates the popularity and difficulty of the Connections puzzle among players who are seeking assistance to solve it.
One particular Connections puzzle from May 12, 2024, was identified as the toughest and most challenging puzzle of the year based on the Google searches for hints. The puzzle featured a variety of three-letter words, including acronyms and animal-related words, which posed a significant challenge for players trying to categorize them correctly. The categories for this puzzle included Playfully Poke Fun At, Cuts of Beef, Acronyms, and Cocktails Minus Place Names, requiring players to think critically and creatively to solve it.
The second-toughest Connections puzzle, which was identified by the Word Unscrambler analysis, occurred on May 5, 2024, just a week before the toughest puzzle. This puzzle featured categories such as Something Gained From Hard Work, Kinds of Bagel, Contribute to a Movie, and Starts of Monsters. Each category presented unique challenges for players, testing their knowledge and ability to make connections between seemingly unrelated words. The demand for hints and solutions for these challenging puzzles was widespread, with the May 12, 2024 puzzle being the most difficult in 36 states according to the analysis.
Overall, the Connections puzzle from The New York Times has gained popularity among players who enjoy solving challenging word puzzles. The game’s format of grouping words into categories offers a unique and engaging experience for players looking to test their language and problem-solving skills. While the game can be both rewarding and frustrating depending on the individual’s success in solving the puzzles, there is a strong demand for hints and solutions to assist players in completing the challenging Connections puzzles. Websites like CNET providing daily answers for the Connections puzzle demonstrate the ongoing interest and engagement with this popular word game.
