The Thursday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1145, serving up a grid that rewards a sharp eye for moral language, recreation, travel brands, and familiar expressions.
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 #1145:
JUGGLING | CARNIVAL | DOT | FAIR
BINGO | RIGHT | POOL | NOSE
MONEY | GOOD | BEER PONG | CELEBRITY
VIKING | MARK | PRINCESS | JUST
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Look for terms that could all praise a person's character or conduct.
Green Category Clue: Think of pastimes in which several round pieces are essential to the action.
Blue Category Hint: Shift from ordinary meanings to major names associated with vacations at sea.
Purple Category Teaser: Each answer can complete the same short opening to describe perfect accuracy.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Virtuous): FAIR, GOOD, JUST, RIGHT
FAIR, GOOD, JUST, and RIGHT are all synonyms for VIRTUOUS, describing behavior that is morally sound or honorable.
FAIR creates a genuine diversion beside CARNIVAL, since both can suggest an event with rides, games, and attractions.
Green (Activities With Multiple Balls): BEER PONG, BINGO, JUGGLING, POOL
BEER PONG, BINGO, JUGGLING, and POOL are ACTIVITIES WITH MULTIPLE BALLS. Beer pong uses ping-pong balls, bingo draws numbered balls, juggling can keep several balls aloft, and pool begins with a full set on the table.
Blue (Cruise Lines): CARNIVAL, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, VIKING
CARNIVAL, CELEBRITY, PRINCESS, and VIKING are CRUISE LINES, with each grid entry serving as the identifying name of a cruise brand.
CARNIVAL is the strongest red herring here because it sits naturally beside FAIR before its brand identity comes into focus.
Purple (On The ___, To Mean "precise"): DOT, MARK, MONEY, NOSE
DOT, MARK, MONEY, and NOSE all follow ON THE in expressions meaning precise: on the dot, on the mark, on the money, and on the nose.
RIGHT adds extra camouflage because it can intensify several of those phrases, including right on the money and right on the nose, even though it belongs with the moral terms.
The Verdict
The yellow set should fall first because FAIR, GOOD, JUST, and RIGHT form a tight cluster of approving moral language.
The real trap lives between FAIR and CARNIVAL, while RIGHT also tugs toward the precision phrases built from MARK, MONEY, and NOSE.
Purple is the streak-deciding group because recognizing the shared ON THE construction resolves several ordinary nouns at once.
Reset and Repeat
Today's best touch is the way RIGHT hovers beside the precision expressions without joining them. Reset the grid tomorrow and look again for the word that seems useful in one place but belongs somewhere cleaner.
For now, puzzle #1145 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.
