The Tuesday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1143, serving up a grid that rewards an eye for authority, produce-aisle knowledge, retail recognition, and a neat bit of name-based wordplay.
What Makes Connections Tick
For newcomers, NYT Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist? You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.
Since its June 2023 launch, Connections has carved out its niche in the Times' puzzle ecosystem, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide. The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.
Today's Grid at a Glance
Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #1143:
CAPTAIN | CLARKS | OTTOMAN | EMPIRE
ANNAPOLIS | BOBSLED | CAMPER | DIRECT
EVEREST | FUJI | GALA | HEAD
CONVERSE | LEAD | HONEYCRISP | CROCS
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about verbs and titles that place someone firmly in charge.
Green Category Clue: Picture the signs and stickers lining a well-stocked produce aisle.
Blue Category Hint: Look below the ankle, then listen for the repeated opening sound among familiar labels.
Purple Category Teaser: Inspect the beginnings closely. Each one hides a short name that reads identically in both directions.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Command): CAPTAIN, DIRECT, HEAD, LEAD
CAPTAIN, DIRECT, HEAD, and LEAD all express COMMAND, whether as verbs for taking charge or as titles and roles associated with authority.
CAPTAIN also tempts a superficial match with the footwear set because it begins with C, but it is not one of the four verified shoe brands.
Green (How Do You Like Them Apples): EMPIRE, FUJI, GALA, HONEYCRISP
EMPIRE, FUJI, GALA, and HONEYCRISP are apple varieties, giving the category its playful HOW DO YOU LIKE THEM APPLES title.
FUJI creates the strongest red herring here because EVEREST is also in the grid, inviting a premature mountain pairing.
Blue (Shoe Brands Starting With "c"): CAMPER, CLARKS, CONVERSE, CROCS
CAMPER, CLARKS, CONVERSE, and CROCS are SHOE BRANDS STARTING WITH C.
The shared initial makes this group visible, but CAPTAIN supplies a deliberate fifth C-word that prevents the letter alone from settling the answer.
Purple (Starting With Palindromic Names): ANNAPOLIS, BOBSLED, EVEREST, OTTOMAN
ANNAPOLIS, BOBSLED, EVEREST, and OTTOMAN start with the palindromic names ANNA, BOB, EVE, and OTTO, respectively.
The trick depends on splitting each longer word after its opening name, turning ordinary-looking entries into four compact palindromes.
The Verdict
COMMAND should fall first because CAPTAIN, DIRECT, HEAD, and LEAD share a clean sense of authority.
The real trap sits between FUJI and EVEREST as famous peaks, while CAPTAIN complicates the otherwise tidy run of C-initial shoe brands.
The purple group is the streak-decider, since spotting ANNA, BOB, EVE, and OTTO inside the longer words requires a precise change in how the grid is read.
Reset and Repeat
Today's standout flourish is the set of palindromic names hiding in plain sight at the starts of longer words. Reset the grid-reading instincts and come back tomorrow for another four-way test.
For now, puzzle #1143 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.
