Introduction
NYT Connections launched in June 2023 and became one of the fastest-growing word puzzles in the NYT Games catalog. The premise: sort 16 words into 4 groups of 4, where each group shares a hidden connection. The difficulty ranges from straightforward (yellow) to tricky (purple). When you are stuck on a group, this solver analyzes the words and suggests possible groupings based on common thematic patterns. Paste your 16 words and get instant suggestions. Everything runs in your browser.
What this tool does
- Analyzes 16 words and attempts to group them into 4 thematic categories
- Matches against common patterns: animals, colors, foods, countries, sports, and more
- Assigns difficulty levels matching the NYT color scheme (yellow, green, blue, purple)
- Falls back to structural grouping (word length) when thematic patterns are not found
- Processes entirely on the client side with no data transmitted
How this tool works
The solver takes 16 words as input (comma or newline separated). It runs each word through a series of regex-based pattern matchers covering categories like animals, colors, calendar terms, fruits, flowers, foods, countries, space terms, musical instruments, music genres, and sports. When 4 or more words match a pattern, they form a group. The solver assigns difficulty levels based on how obvious the pattern is: animals and colors are difficulty 1 (easy), while music genres and instruments are difficulty 3 (hard). If pattern matching produces fewer than 4 groups, the solver fills remaining slots by grouping words of the same length. This is a heuristic approach, not a definitive solution, because Connections connections can be wordplay-based (homophones, hidden words, phrases) rather than simple categories.
How the Connections puzzle works
Connections was created by NYT puzzle editor Wyna Liu. Each puzzle has exactly 4 groups of 4 words. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow (straightforward), green (medium), blue (hard), and purple (tricky). The tricky group often involves wordplay: words that can follow a common word (e.g., "fire" + place, fly, arm, works), words with double meanings, or words that hide a smaller word. The solver uses pattern matching for category-based connections, which handles the easier groups well. For wordplay-based groups, the solver cannot detect the connection because it requires understanding of linguistic patterns that go beyond simple categorization. The solver is most useful for the first 2-3 groups, which are usually category-based.
How to use this tool
- Enter all 16 words from the puzzle, separated by commas or new lines.
- The solver analyzes the words and displays suggested groups.
- Each group shows its theme label and difficulty level.
- Use the suggestions as hints, not definitive answers.
- Cross-reference with the actual puzzle to verify which suggestions are correct.
Real-world examples
Category-based grouping
Input: ROSE, LILY, TULIP, DAISY, RED, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW, PIZZA, BURGER, TACO, SUSHI, JAZZ, ROCK, BLUES, FOLK. The solver identifies three groups: Flowers (ROSE, LILY, TULIP, DAISY), Colors (RED, BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW), and Foods (PIZZA, BURGER, TACO, SUSHI). The fourth group would be Music Genres (JAZZ, ROCK, BLUES, FOLK).
Wordplay detection limitation
If the puzzle uses a wordplay connection like "words that follow FIRE" (FIREPLACE, FIREFLY, FIREARM, FIREWORKS), the solver will not detect this because it relies on category matching. It might group these words by length or leave them as "Ungrouped." This is where human insight is still needed.
Mixed difficulty puzzles
A typical puzzle might have 2 category-based groups and 2 wordplay groups. The solver handles the category groups, giving you a head start. You can then focus your effort on the remaining 8 words to find the wordplay connections manually.
Comparison with similar methods
| Method | Complexity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| This solver | Pattern matching + fallback | Category-based groups |
| Manual solving | Human lateral thinking | All group types |
| Word embedding AI | O(n^2) similarity | Research-level grouping |
Limitations or considerations
The solver detects category-based connections (animals, colors, foods, etc.) but cannot detect wordplay connections like homophones, hidden words, or "words that follow X." NYT Connections puzzles typically include 1-2 wordplay groups per puzzle. The solver is a hint tool for the easier groups, not a complete solution. The pattern list covers common categories but may miss specialized themes like "types of knots" or "card games."
Frequently asked questions
Why does the solver miss some connections?
Connections puzzles frequently use wordplay (homophones, hidden words, phrases) that requires human linguistic understanding. The solver uses pattern matching for common categories, which handles about half the groups in a typical puzzle.
How accurate are the difficulty levels?
The solver assigns difficulty based on how common the category is. Animals and colors are easy (yellow), while music genres and instruments are hard (blue/purple). The actual NYT difficulty may differ because it depends on how obscure the specific words are.
Can I use this for the NYT Connections Companion?
Yes. The Companion uses the same 16-word format. Paste the words and the solver will suggest groupings.
What if the solver produces fewer than 4 groups?
This happens when fewer than 4 categories are detected. The solver fills remaining slots with same-length word groupings as a fallback, but these are unlikely to match the actual puzzle connections.
Conclusion
The Connections solver helps with the category-based groups that make up roughly half of a typical puzzle. Use it to get unstuck on the easier groups, then apply your own lateral thinking for the wordplay connections. The tool runs entirely in your browser and processes no data on a server.