NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Monday, April 28.

      Connections is one of the top puzzle games offered by the New York Times. In the game, you are challenged to categorize a set of 16 words into four hidden (for now) groups by determining how the words are related. A new puzzle is released every night at midnight, featuring a range of difficulty levels. Similar to Wordle, you can monitor your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.

      Some days can be more challenging than others, much like other popular NYT Games such as The Mini and Strands. If you're facing difficulties with today's puzzle, take a look at our Connections tips and tricks guide for helpful strategies, or check out today's hints for the Connections puzzle below. If you’re still struggling, the answers for today’s puzzle will be provided at the end.

      How to play Connections:

      Connections is a daily game focused on discovering common links among words. Players must form four sets of four words without exceeding three mistakes. Play now. https://t.co/YITfSnqODb pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs

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

      You can access Connections through the New York Times website or via the NYT Games app on iOS or Android.

      In Connections, a grid of 16 words is displayed, and your goal is to arrange these words into four groups of four by identifying the connections between them. These groups can include categories such as names of video game franchises, sequels to book series, shades of red, or names of chain restaurants, among others.

      There are often words that seem to fit multiple categories, but only one answer is completely correct. You can shuffle the grid and rearrange the words to better understand potential associations.

      Each group is color-coded, with yellow being the easiest to identify, followed by green, blue, and purple.

      Select four words and click Submit. If you are correct, those words will be removed from the grid, and the associated theme will be revealed. An incorrect guess counts as a mistake. You have only four mistakes available before the game ends.

      Hints for today’s Connections:

      We can assist you in solving today’s Connections by providing the four themes. For additional help, we’ll include one word from each group below.

      Today’s themes:

      HAIR PRODUCTS

      AUSTERE

      CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE

      WEARY

      One-answer reveals:

      HAIR PRODUCTS – GEL

      AUSTERE – BARE

      CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE – FIBER

      WEARY – BORE

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections answers:

      Still having trouble? That’s alright. This puzzle is intended to be challenging. If you simply want to see today’s Connections answer, it's provided below:

      HAIR PRODUCTS – GEL, MOUSSE, SPRAY, WAX

      AUSTERE – BARE, PLAIN, SIMPLE, SPARE

      CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE – FIBER, FINGERPRINT, HAIR, TIRE MARK

      WEARY – BORE, DRAIN, EXHAUST, TIRE

      Connections grids vary significantly and change every day. If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, be sure to return tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs:

      What time does the Connections puzzle change?

      The puzzle updates daily at midnight local time.

      Who edits the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles for The New York Times since 2020, oversees the daily Connections game.

      “In recent months, a new task appeared on my desk: to create the game boards for Connections, a category-matching game that had just received the green light and needed an editor,” Liu explained in an article detailing her process in June 2024. "Most of my experience with puzzles has been in crosswords, so I was eager to explore something new. I’ve enjoyed understanding how puzzle editing unfolds once a game is approved and seeing how our team contributes to a larger framework.”

      On the one-year anniversary of the launch of Connections earlier this year, Liu shared this TikTok about her favorite puzzles thus far:

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