Today's New York Times Crossword Clue Solutions andHints for August 17, 2024's Edition
If you're seeking the responses for the Connections challenge on August 17, 2024, continue reading as I'll provide some hints, suggestions, and techniques, followed by the total solutions for all four categories. Along the journey, we'll decode trickier terms and understand how they all connect. Beware, this section contains spoilers for August 17, Connections #433! Proceed if you're interested in some hints and then the answer to today's Connections game.
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Some subtle hints for today's Connections answers are provided below. Further down the page, the themes and total solutions will be presented. Scroll gradually and grab as many hints as you need!
Here are some spoiler-free hints for the groupings in today’s Connections:
- Yellow category - Discussions and conversations
- Green category - A playful and affectionate term
- Blue category - Unforeseen situations require these items
- Purple category - Words you'd hear on home improvement shows
Beware: Spoilers follow for today’s Connections puzzle!
We're about to share some answers. Proceed slowly if you do not want the whole game spoiled. (The full solution is a bit further down.)
A heads up about the tricky parts:
RANCH does not refer to a type of dressing.
TONGUE and FRENCH do not typically connect, nor do TONGUE and NECK.
- Yellow: COMMUNICATION
- Green: COOING
- Blue: FIRST AID TREATMENTS
- Purple: HOUSE STYLES
Double Beware: The answer is below
Prepared to learn the solutions for today’s Connections puzzle? I reveal them all below.
What are the yellow words in today’s Connections?
The yellow grouping is thought to be the most straightforward. Today's yellow theme is COMMUNICATION, and the words are: DIALECT, LANGUAGE, SPEECH, TONGUE.
What are the green words in today’s Connections?
The green grouping is meant to be the second-easiest. Today's green category is COOING, and the words are: FRENCH, KISS, MAKE OUT, NECK.
What are the blue words in today’s Connections?
The blue grouping is assumed to be the second-hardest. The theme for today's blue category is FIRST AID TREATMENTS, and the words are: BANDAGE, DRESSING, SCISSORS, TAPE.
What are the purple words in today’s Connections?
The purple grouping is considered to be the hardest. The theme for today's purple category is HOUSE STYLES, and the words are: COTTAGE, CRAFTSMAN, PRAIRIE, RANCH.
How I solved today’s Connections
Could there be a salad category today? No, because RANCH is a type of dressing, so I believe that's a red herring.
It appears that there's a Strands crossover happening, since a house-themed puzzle appeared there a few days ago, and it looks like there's a house-themed category here today. RANCH, COTTAGE, CRAFTSMAN, and PRAIRIE. 🟪 Woohoo, a purple-first day!
Let's see, I think there might be a speech-themed category as well, with SPEECH, TONGUE, DIALECT, and LANGUAGE. 🟨
Oh, there's a kissing category, too—glad I got TONGUE out of the way before seeing that. FRENCH, KISS, MAKE OUT, and NECK are all words for affectionately kissing. 🟩
That leaves BANDAGE, TAPE, SCISSORS, and DRESSING, which are all components of first aid or wound care. 🟦
How to play Connections
I have a full guide to playing Connections, but here’s a refresher on the rules:
First, locate the Connections game on either the New York Times website or in their Games app (formerly the Crossword app). You’ll see a game board with 16 tiles, each with one word or phrase. Your task is to select a group of four tiles that share a common attribute. Often, they are all the same type of thing (for example: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all types of wet weather) but sometimes there is wordplay involved (for example, BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH are all types of lists: bucket list, guest list, and so on).
Select four items and hit the Submit button. If you guess correctly, the category and color will be revealed. (Yellow is easiest, followed by green, then blue, then purple.) If your guess was incorrect, you'll get another chance.
You win when you've correctly identified all four groups. However, if you make four mistakes before completing, the game ends, and the answers are revealed.
Understanding how to conquer Connections involves recognizing that the categorizations can be deceiving. Prepare yourself for intertwining groups. For instance, a puzzle seemed to involve six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. However, BACON wound up being a part of a group of artists, alongside CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, and EGG belonged to a group of items that come in batches (along with JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Therefore, avoid hitting "submit" until your group of four consists solely of those four items.
If you're having trouble, an alternative approach is to focus on words that appear to have no correlation to the others. If the only thought that pops into your mind when you see WHISTLER is the painting famously titled "Whistler's Mother," you're likely on the right track. When I solved that particular puzzle, I found myself researching if there was an artist named Close, as Close didn't seem to fit into any apparent categories.
Another effective method to succeed when you're stuck is, without a doubt, to scrutinize some useful suggestions—the reason we provide these tips every day. Take a look tomorrow for the following puzzle!
After solving the Connections puzzle, you might want to share your achievements with your friends using social media or email. Using the New York Times' connections answer, you can engage in entertaining discussions with your nyt connections about the intricacies of the game. Additionally, you can use connections as a refresher when you encounter similar words or categories in the future.
