Today's NYT Connections Hints and Answer for May 20 (#344)

April 2024 · 4 minute read

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Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

What Is Connections?

Connections is a game from the New York Times. The objective is simple: sort 16 words into groups of 4. Each group of words will be connected by some common idea or theme. That common element could be anything. We have seen everything from games that rely on the number of letters in the words to categories that require you to spot an extra letter at the end of the word. Sometimes they're references to economics, other times they reference fairy tales. There is no telling what sort of association there will be between words.

Once you're confident you understand the connection, select 4 words, then hit "Submit." You have only four attempts in total, so don't be too guess-happy.

Hints for Today's Connections Groups

Here are a few hints for the 344th Connections game to get you started:

What Are Today's Connections Groups?

If you still need help, the actual group names are:

Today's NYT Connections Answers

Sorcerer's Output (Yellow):

Charm, Hex, Magic, Spell

One Being Manipulated (Green):

Instrument, Pawn, Puppet, Tool

Classic Superhero Wear (Blue):

Cape, Mask, Tights, Underwear

Action Movie Directors (Purple):

Bay, Carpenter, Scott, Woo

How Did We Solve This Connections Game?

May 20th was a pretty average game.

For some reason, cape, mask, tights, and underwear came together quickly. They're all things you can wear, and none of the other words really match that. Blue was actually "Classic Superhero Wear."

I started with the word magic next. I chose to look for words related to magic in the sense of witches and wizards rather than magic tricks first. Spell was an easy fit, and so was hex. A charm is also a sort of magic, so it seemed like a good 4th word. Charm, hex, magic, and spell were "Sorcerer's Output," in the Yellow group.

The word tool sent me in the wrong direction at first because I was also looking at the word carpenter. There just aren't any other construction related terms here, though, so I abandoned it. Glancing at the other words, puppet and pawn jumped out as almost synonyms. They're both used to describe someone that is being manipulated. Tool can also be used in that sense, and instrument sorta can, though that link is a bit weaker. Together, they made up the Green group, "One Being Manipulated." Close enough.

Returning to Carpenter, I was struggling to see how Bay, Scott, and Woo fit together with it. I shuffled it a few times until Bay and Scott landed together, and it clicked: we're talking about movie directors. More specifically, Purple was "Action Movie Directors."

How Do You Guess Connections Groups?

There is no quick, reliable way to approach Connections like there is with Wordle, since Connections isn't algorithmic. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that can help.

  • Look for similar parts of speech. Are some words verbs and others nouns? Are some adjectives? Try mentally grouping them based on those categories and see if any other patterns jump out at you.
  • Are the words synonyms? Sometimes categories will just be synonyms for a phrase, or very close to synonyms. Don't rely too closely on this, though. Occasionally, Connections will deliberately throw in words that are sometimes synonyms to mislead you.
  • Try saying the words. Sometimes, saying the words helps. One puzzle we saw included the words go, rate, faster, clip, pace, speed, move, commute, and hurry—all of which are obviously related to the idea of motion. However, when you say them, it becomes a little more obvious that only four (go, move, hurry, faster) are things you'd actually say to prompt someone to get moving.
  • Expect the red herring. Connections usually has words that could be plausibly, yet incorrectly, grouped together. Take the words Bud, Corona, and Light, as an example. You might instinctively see those three words together and assume they're lumped together in a category related to beer—but they weren't.
  • Look for distinct words. If a word on your board doesn't have multiple meanings or can really only be used in one context, try using that word as the basis for a category.
  • Shuffle the board. Sometimes, moving words around will help you look at them in new ways.

    • If you didn't solve this one, don't feel too bad—there's always tomorrow! And those words may align with a topic you're interested in, giving you a leg up on the competition.

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