If you’re looking for the answer to the Connections question for Friday, August 23, 2024, read on – I’ll give you some hints, tips and strategies, and finally the solutions for all four categories. Along the way, I’ll explain the meaning of the more difficult words and we’ll learn how it all fits together. Warning, there are spoilers for NYT Connections No. 439 from August 23rd below! Read on if you want some clues (and then the answer) about today’s Connections game.
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Below I’ll give you some indirect clues about today’s Connections answers. And further down the page I’ll reveal the topics and answers. Scroll slowly and take only the clues you need!
Photo credit: Connections/NYT
Clues to the topics in today’s Connections Puzzle
Here are some spoiler-free clues about the groups in today’s Connections:
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Yellow category – Something you might look for at an airport, for example, to get information.
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Green category – sensual costumes.
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Blue category – Not quite white, but close.
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Purple Category – Say this one out loud. Maybe you’ll learn it on Duolingo.
ATTENTION: Spoilers for today’s connections puzzle follow!
We’ll reveal some of the answers in a moment. Scroll slowly if you don’t want to give away everything. (The full solution is a little further down.)
A note on the tricky parts
BUFF can refer to musculature or the polishing of something, but today it refers to a color.
MONITOR and CHECK do not fit together.
A BOA and a Fawn are both animals, but today they have different meanings.
Today’s purple category requires some geographical/cultural knowledge – but this category is mostly about listening to the sound of words rather than reading them off the page.
What categories are there in today’s connections?
DOUBLE CAUTION: THE SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND BELOW
Want to know the answers to today’s Connections puzzle? I’ll reveal them all below.
What are the yellow words in today’s connections?
The yellow grouping is considered the simplest. The topic of today’s yellow group is VISUAL INTERFACE and the words are: DISPLAY, MONITOR, SCREEN, TERMINAL.
What do the green words in today’s connections mean?
The green grouping is probably the second easiest. The theme of today’s green category is BURLESQUE WEAR and the words are: BOA, CORSET, FAN, GLOVES.
What do the blue words in today’s connections mean?
The blue grouping is the second most difficult. The theme for today’s blue category is BEIGE SHADES and the words are: BUFF, CREAM, FAWN, TAN.
What are the purple words in today’s connections?
The purple group is considered the most difficult. The topic of today’s purple category is LANGUAGE HOMOPHONES and the words are: BASK, CHECK, FINISH, TIE.
How I solved today’s connections
I recognize BOA and CORSET immediately and have the feeling that there is a category for “things that constrict”. Maybe TIE too? I’ll keep looking.
MONITOR, SCREEN, TERMINAL and DISPLAY probably belong together as words related to computer screens. I thought MONITOR and CHECK might go together, but this fits better. 🟨
I believe there’s a category to do with lounging in the sun – or maybe things you do near bright/admirable things? SUNBATHING, TANNING, DEER? No, that doesn’t seem quite right.
CHECK and FINISH are both homophones for nationalities, right? (Czech and Finnish.) TIE could mean “Thai” and… hmm, where’s the fourth one?
OK, now I think I’ve found something: TAN, CREAM, BUFF and FAWN are all color names for a light beige shade. 🟦
I suppose BOA, CORSET, FAN and GLOVES would all go together as chic clothing items/accessories. 🟩Oh yes, BURLESQUE CLOTHING.
That leaves CHECK, FINISH, TIE and BASK, which according to the riddle are all LANGUAGE HOMOPHONES. 🟪 I was probably on the right track, but what is BASK? Oh, I guess it’s probably Basquewhich I must admit I didn’t know. (Google helped me with that.)
Connections Puzzle #439 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪
How to play Connections
I have a full How to play Connectionsbut here is a refresher of the rules:
First, find the Connections game on either the New York Times website or their Games app (formerly the Crossword app). You’ll see a game board with 16 tiles, each with a word or phrase. Your job is to select a group of four tiles that have something in common. Often these are the same type of thing (for example: RAIN, SNOW MUD, HAIL and SNOW are all types of wet weather), but sometimes there are word games (for example: BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN and WISH are all types of Lists: bucket list, guest list, etc.).
Select four items and click the submit button. If you guessed correctly, the category and color will be revealed. (Yellow is easiest, followed by green, then blue, then purple.) If your guess was wrong, you’ll have the option to try again.
You win if you identify all four groups correctly, but if you make four mistakes before you finish, the game is over and the answers are revealed.
How to gain connections
The most important thing to know about winning Connections is that the groupings are tricky. Expect overlapping groups. For example, one puzzle appeared to contain six breakfast foods: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. But BACON turned out to be part of a group of painters along with CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, and EGG was in a group of things that come by the dozen (along with JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). So don’t click submit until you’ve confirmed that your group of four includes only these four things.
If you get stuck, you can also look at the words that NO Connection to the others. If the only thing that comes to mind when you think of WHISTLER is the painting nicknamed “Whistler’s Mother,” you may be on the right track. Once I had that problem solved, I ended up Googling whether there was a painter named Close, because Close didn’t fit any of the obvious themes either.
Of course, another way to win if you get stuck is to read a few helpful hints – that’s why we share these clues every day. Check back tomorrow to read the next puzzle!
