The Tuesday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1150, serving up a grid that rewards sharp visual thinking, everyday observation, and one timely escape from a tempting bird connection.
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 #1150:
CIGARETTE | PEACE SIGN | PIANO | TAXI CAB
CHEVRON | UNICYCLE | PIGEON | POOL NOODLE
SEWING MACHINE | ANGLE BRACKET | PRETZEL ROD | BODEGA
SUBWAY STATION | FOAM ROLLER | SWAN BOAT | GOOSE FORMATION
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Ignore purpose and material, then compare the basic physical silhouettes.
Green Category Clue: Picture a busy street scene in one unmistakable American city.
Blue Category Hint: Think about objects operated partly through your feet.
Purple Category Teaser: Look for the same simple outline appearing in four very different contexts.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Long Cylindrical Things): CIGARETTE, FOAM ROLLER, POOL NOODLE, PRETZEL ROD
CIGARETTE, FOAM ROLLER, POOL NOODLE, and PRETZEL ROD are all long cylindrical things. Their uses and materials differ, so shape is the clean connection.
Green (Iconic Nyc Sights): BODEGA, PIGEON, SUBWAY STATION, TAXI CAB
BODEGA, PIGEON, SUBWAY STATION, and TAXI CAB are iconic NYC sights, covering the corner store, street wildlife, public transit, and the city's familiar yellow cars.
Blue (Things With Pedals): PIANO, SEWING MACHINE, SWAN BOAT, UNICYCLE
PIANO, SEWING MACHINE, SWAN BOAT, and UNICYCLE are things with pedals. SWAN BOAT creates the grid's sharpest red herring because it appears to pair naturally with GOOSE FORMATION through birds.
Purple (V-Shaped Things): ANGLE BRACKET, CHEVRON, GOOSE FORMATION, PEACE SIGN
ANGLE BRACKET, CHEVRON, GOOSE FORMATION, and PEACE SIGN are all V-shaped things. The trick shifts between a typographic mark, an insignia-like motif, a flying formation, and a hand gesture while preserving the same outline.
The Verdict
The yellow set should fall first because its four objects share an immediately visible physical form.
The real trap sits between SWAN BOAT and GOOSE FORMATION, whose bird language disguises their separate pedal and V-shape homes.
Blue is the streak-deciding group, since recognizing the pedals breaks that bird decoy and leaves the visual purple set intact.
Reset and Repeat
Today's best move was seeing one V echoed across symbols, gestures, and the sky. Reset the grid-reading instincts and come back tomorrow for another round.
For now, puzzle #1150 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.
