NYT Connections Today: Hints, Categories, and Solution for Puzzle #1177
The New York Times Connections puzzle for today offers a music-friendly challenge. As one of the Times’ most popular daily word games, Connections tasks players with finding the common threads among 16 words. Like Wordle, the puzzle resets after midnight, and each new set grows progressively trickier. Below you’ll find hints, category clues, and the full solution — scroll to the end if you want the answer immediately, or keep reading for strategies to solve it yourself.
What Is NYT Connections?
Launched as the Times’ latest daily word game, Connections has quickly become a social-media hit. Associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu is credited with helping create the game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Playable on web browsers and mobile devices, Connections presents 16 words that must be grouped into four categories of four words each. Categories can span anything from book titles and software to country names. Only one correct grouping exists per category, even when multiple words appear to fit together.
When a player correctly identifies all four words in a set, those words are removed from the board. An incorrect guess counts as a mistake — players are allowed up to four mistakes before the game ends. The board can be rearranged and shuffled to make spotting connections easier. Each group is color-coded by difficulty: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). Results can be shared on social media, much like Wordle.
Today’s Connections Hints — Category Clues Without Spoilers
If you’d like a nudge without seeing the actual categories, consider these thematic hints:
- Yellow: To shock
- Green: What an instrumentalist might carry
- Blue: Canines
- Purple: Not canines
Today’s Connections Categories
Need a little more help? The puzzle’s four categories are:
- Yellow: Flabbergast
- Green: Things in a violin case
- Blue: ___ dogs (that are dogs)
- Purple: ___ dogs (that aren’t dogs)
Today’s Connections Solution — Puzzle #1177
Warning: This is your last chance to turn back and solve the puzzle before the answers are revealed.
The solution to Connections #1177 is:
- Flabbergast: DAZZLE, FLOOR, STUN, WOW
- Things in a violin case: BOW, MUTE, ROSIN, SHOULDER REST
- ___ dogs (that are dogs): HUNTING, RESCUE, SAUSAGE, SHEEP
- ___ dogs (that aren’t dogs): CORN, PRAIRIE, SALTY, TOP
More Daily Puzzle Help
- Looking for today’s Wordle answer? Here’s the solution to today’s Wordle.
- Playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
- Want more puzzles? Check out Mashable’s games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to today’s Connections for the correct date.
