Daily New York Times Crossword Puzzle Clues and Solutions for August 31, 2024's Saturday Edition

Today's New York Times Puzzle Tips (Solution) for Saturday, August 31, 2024 (revised phrasing)

If you're in search of the answers for the "Connections" puzzle on Saturday, August 31, 2024, you've come to the right place! I'll provide some clues, tips, and strategies, and ultimately, the solutions for all four categories. Let's dive in, and I'll decode the trickier words along the way. Keep in mind, there are spoilers below for August 31, NYT Connections #447!

If you'd like a convenient way to come back to our "Connections" hints daily, feel free to bookmark this page, and you can also find our past hints here as well.

Without further ado, below, you'll find some indirect hints to today's "Connections" answers. Further down, you'll discover the theme for each group and the corresponding answers. Take only the hints you require and scroll slowly.

Hints for the themes in today's "Connections" puzzle

Here are some spoiler-free hints for the groupings within today's "Connections":

Yellow category - What newspaper articles do you often read?
Green category - What parts of the tree are essential for its growth?
Blue category - Which dish is typically served before the main course in many cultures?
Purple category - Which side of coins contains images symbolizing the United States?

BEWARE: Spoilers follow for today's "Connections" puzzle!

We're ready to disclose some of the answers. If you'd rather not have the whole thing spoiled, kindly scroll slowly. (The complete solution will be further down.)

A heads up about the tricky parts

MONTICELLO is the name for Thomas Jefferson's property.

CROWN does not refer to the headpiece worn by a monarch—it does indeed go along with RINGS.

SHIELD is a protective covering.

What are the categories in today's "Connections"?

Yellow: NEWSPAPER SECTIONS
Green: TREE FEATURES
Blue: STARTERS (or APPETIZERS)
Purple: U.S. COIN IMAGES

DOUBLE BEWARE: THE SOLUTION IS BELOW

Ready to uncover the answers to today's "Connections" puzzle? I'll reveal them all below.

What are the yellow words in today's "Connections"?

The yellow group is considered the simplest. The theme for today's yellow category is NEWSPAPER SECTIONS, and the words are: ARTS, BUSINESS, COMICS, SPORTS.

What are the green words in today's "Connections"?

The green group should be the second-easiest. The theme for today's green category is TREE FEATURES, and the words are: BARK, CROWN, RINGS, ROOTS.

What are the blue words in today's "Connections"?

The blue group is more complex. The theme for today's blue category is STARTERS (or APPETIZERS), and the words are: CHEF, GARDEN, GREEK, WEDGE.

What are the purple words in today's "Connections"?

The purple group is regarded as the most difficult. The theme for today's purple category is U.S. COIN IMAGES, and the words are: EAGLE, MONTICELLO, SHIELD, TORCH.

How I solved today's "Connections"

MONTICELLO is an intriguing one. It could refer to Thomas Jefferson's primary estate or a collection of towns in the United States.

I spotted some plant-related words on the board as well: BARK, ROOTS, CROWN, and RINGS.

GREEK and WEDGE could be types of dishes or salads. Take a look at GARDEN. Is "garden salad" a real dish? Let's see. 🟦 Yay!

I can see RINGS, CROWN, TORCH, and SHIELD going together, as they all signify significant symbols or emblems. Perhaps they are connected to something American? Hmm.

I perceive a newspaper category: BUSINESS, ARTS, SPORTS, COMICS. 🟨

I'll attempt BARK, ROOTS, CROWN, and RINGS for the plant category first. 🟩

This leaves me with MONTICELLO, TORCH, SHIELD, and EAGLE. Could they be all associated with American money? 🟪 Yes, on the coins' reverse sides!

How to play "Connections"

I've prepared a full guide to enjoying "Connections," but I'll summarize the rules below as a refresher:

Find the "Connections" game either on the New York Times website or on the Times' mobile app (formally known as the Crossword app).
You'll recognize an 16-tile game board, each with a single word or phrase. Your endeavor is to select a group of four tiles that share a common trait. While often the items are all of the same sort (for example: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all types of wet weather), there can be wordplay involved (for example, BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH are multiple kinds of lists).
Select four items and click "Submit." If your response is accurate, the category and color will appear. (Yellow is the easiest, followed by green, then blue, and finally purple.) If your guess is incorrect, you'll get another chance.
You've achieved victory when you've correctly identified all four groups. But if you make four mistakes before conclusion, the game ends, and the answers are revealed.

Understanding how to triumph in Connections requires recognizing that the categories are intentionally complex. Prepare for intertwined groups. A riddle appeared to involve six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. However, BACON was associated with a group of artists, including CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG was classified under items that arrive in bunches (alongside JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). So, ensure your selection of four items consists solely of these four.

If you're struggling, try to focus on words that don't seem related to the others. If WHISTLER only brings to mind the famous painting titled "Whistler’s Mother," you might be on the right track. In my case, I had to investigate if Close was in fact a painter, as there wasn't an obvious theme for this name either.

An additional approach to triumph when you're stumped is to review some useful hints - which is precisely why we offer these tips daily. Come back tomorrow for the following challenge!

After solving the "Connections" puzzle, you might want to share your joy with others. Utilize the 'entertainment' section of your local newspaper to publish an article about your success. Additionally, to show appreciation for the NYT Connections 'connections answer today', you could consider sending a thank-you message to the puzzle creators.