NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Friday, April 18.

      Connections is among the top puzzle games offered by the New York Times. The objective of the game is to categorize a set of 16 words into four hidden groups by determining the relationships between the words. Each night at midnight, the puzzle resets, presenting a new challenge with varying levels of difficulty. Similar to Wordle, you can monitor your winning streak and compare results with friends.

      Some days present more challenges than others, much like other popular NYT Games such as The Mini and Strands. If you find yourself struggling with today's puzzle, refer to our guide on Connections tips and tricks for effective strategies, or check out the hints for today's Connections puzzle listed below. If you're still unable to solve it, we will provide today's answers at the end.

      How to play Connections

      Connections is a daily game focused on identifying commonalities among words. Players need to select four groups of four words, ensuring they don't exceed three mistakes. Play now. https://t.co/YITfSnqODb pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs

      — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024

      You can play Connections on the New York Times website or via the NYT Games app available on iOS and Android.

      In Connections, you will see a grid featuring 16 words. Your task is to categorize these words into four sets of four by recognizing the connections between them. These sets might include themes such as titles of video game franchises, sequels of book series, different shades of red, names of restaurant chains, etc.

      While some words may seem to fit multiple categories, there is only one entirely correct solution. You have the option to shuffle the grid to better visualize the possible connections.

      Each group is marked by color: the yellow group is the simplest to identify, followed by green, blue, and purple groups.

      Choose four words and click Submit. If your choice is correct, those four words will disappear from the grid, and the linking theme will be revealed. If your guess is wrong, it will count as a mistake. You have a maximum of four mistakes before the game concludes.

      Hints for today’s Connections

      We can assist you with today’s Connections by revealing the four themes. If you require further help, we will also provide one word from each group below.

      Today’s themes

      INTERJECTIONS

      HORROR MOVIES, WITH “THE”

      THINGS YOU CAN PICK

      PERSONAL PROPERTY MINUS “S”

      One-answer reveals

      INTERJECTIONS – BOY

      HORROR MOVIES, WITH “THE” – BIRDS

      THINGS YOU CAN PICK – APPLE

      PERSONAL PROPERTY MINUS “S” – BELONGING

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections answers

      Still struggling? That's alright. This puzzle is designed to be challenging. If you simply want to know the answers for today’s Connections puzzle, here they are:

      INTERJECTIONS – BOY, GOODNESS, MAN, WOW

      HORROR MOVIES, WITH “THE” – BIRDS, EXORCIST, HAUNTING, SHINING

      THINGS YOU CAN PICK – APPLE, BANJO, CARD, NOSE

      PERSONAL PROPERTY MINUS “S” – BELONGING, EFFECT, GOOD, POSSESSION

      Connections grids change significantly and vary each day. If you couldn't solve today’s puzzle, be sure to return tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs

      What time does the Connections puzzle reset?

      The puzzle refreshes every day at midnight local time.

      Who oversees the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles for The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections on a daily basis.

      "A few months ago, I received a new task: Create the game boards for Connections, a category-matching game that had recently been approved and was in need of an editor," Liu explained in an article discussing her process in June 2024. Much of my puzzle experience has been with crosswords, so I was eager to try something new. I have enjoyed seeing how puzzle editing works once a game is approved and how our team fits within a broader ecosystem.”

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections' launch earlier this year, Liu shared this TikTok featuring her favorite puzzles to date:

      @thegamesteam ? happy one year anniversary to connections, our newest official NYT game ? #nytgames #nytconnections #nyt ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music