The Thursday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #1152, serving up a grid that rewards childhood nostalgia, travel knowledge, and a sharp eye for what different locations contain.
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 #1152:
SWIMMING POOL | TENNIS COURT | FREEWAY | HOCKEY RINK
BARCLAYS CENTER | COLOSSEUM | SUPERMARKET | JACOB'S LADDER
PANTHEON | BOWLING ALLEY | LINCOLN LOGS | SPANISH STEPS
ALPHABET BLOCKS | FISHING BOAT | TREVI FOUNTAIN | CUP-AND-BALL
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think of enduring playthings from long before screens and batteries took over the playroom.
Green Category Clue: Picture spaces where movement or service is organized into parallel paths.
Blue Category Hint: Plan a sightseeing itinerary through one famous European capital.
Purple Category Teaser: Look for four locations connected by the same short noun, though the connection is not identical in every case.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Classic Wooden Toys): ALPHABET BLOCKS, CUP-AND-BALL, JACOB'S LADDER, LINCOLN LOGS
ALPHABET BLOCKS, CUP-AND-BALL, JACOB'S LADDER, and LINCOLN LOGS are all classic wooden toys.
JACOB'S LADDER tempts a pairing with SPANISH STEPS because both suggest climbing, but the former belongs in the playroom while the latter belongs in Rome.
Green (Places With Lanes): BOWLING ALLEY, FREEWAY, SUPERMARKET, SWIMMING POOL
BOWLING ALLEY, FREEWAY, SUPERMARKET, and SWIMMING POOL are places with lanes, whether they guide balls, vehicles, shoppers, or swimmers.
SWIMMING POOL is the dangerous crossover because it resembles the sports settings in the nets group, but its decisive feature here is its lanes.
Blue (Iconic Roman Landmarks): COLOSSEUM, PANTHEON, SPANISH STEPS, TREVI FOUNTAIN
COLOSSEUM, PANTHEON, SPANISH STEPS, and TREVI FOUNTAIN are iconic landmarks in Rome.
SPANISH STEPS carries the strongest lexical distraction, since its stair imagery points toward JACOB'S LADDER even though the geographic set is exact.
Purple (Places With Nets): BARCLAYS CENTER, FISHING BOAT, HOCKEY RINK, TENNIS COURT
BARCLAYS CENTER, FISHING BOAT, HOCKEY RINK, and TENNIS COURT are all places with nets.
A fishing boat carries nets, a hockey rink has netted goals, and a tennis court has a dividing net. BARCLAYS CENTER supplies the twist through the Brooklyn Nets, who play their home games there.
The Verdict
The Roman landmarks should fall first because COLOSSEUM, PANTHEON, SPANISH STEPS, and TREVI FOUNTAIN form the cleanest shared itinerary.
The real trap sits between SWIMMING POOL and the sports-heavy locations TENNIS COURT and HOCKEY RINK, since all three look ready for one athletic grouping.
The nets group decides streaks, with BARCLAYS CENTER demanding the key jump from physical equipment to a team name.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow brings a fresh grid and another reset. Today's best trick is worth remembering: a shared noun can be literal three times and arrive through a proper name on the fourth.
For now, puzzle #1152 is solved. See you at midnight for the next round.
