The Tuesday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #933, serving up a grid that rewards aviation knowledge and semantic precision. Today's challenge particularly favors those who can distinguish between literal and figurative meanings, with a tricky purple category that will test your lateral thinking about everyday objects.
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 #933:
TAXI | BELL | COMPASS | GOAL
TOUCHDOWN | CLOCK | BASKET | POINT
CLIMB | OBJECT | SCALE | RACK
AIM | RULER | REFLECTOR | TAKEOFF
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories, ranging from aviation terminology to everyday measurement tools.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about synonyms for purpose or target.
Green Category Clue: These are all tools used for determining quantities or positions.
Blue Category Hint: Consider the sequence of events in aviation operations.
Purple Category Teaser: These items are commonly attached to bicycles for safety and utility.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
Yellow (Intention): AIM, GOAL, OBJECT, POINT
All four words serve as synonyms for purpose, target, or objective. "Aim" and "goal" are straightforward, while "object" in this context refers to an objective rather than a physical item.
"Point" completes the set as in "the point of the exercise" or "what's your point?" - all describing intention or purpose.
Green (Measuring Devices): CLOCK, COMPASS, RULER, SCALE
This category collects instruments used for measurement. A clock measures time, a compass measures direction, a ruler measures length, and a scale measures weight.
The connection is clean and logical, though "scale" could also refer to musical scales or climbing scales, creating a potential misdirection.
Blue (Parts of a Flight): CLIMB, TAKEOFF, TAXI, TOUCHDOWN
These represent sequential phases of aircraft operation. "Taxi" refers to the aircraft moving on the ground, "takeoff" is the departure, "climb" is the ascent to cruising altitude, and "touchdown" is the landing.
The aviation theme is consistent, though "taxi" and "touchdown" have strong alternative meanings in transportation and sports respectively.
Purple (Bike Accessories): BASKET, BELL, RACK, REFLECTOR
The trickiest category connects items commonly found on bicycles. A basket carries items, a bell provides audible warning, a rack holds cargo, and a reflector enhances visibility.
The challenge lies in recognizing that these are all bicycle components rather than general items - "bell" could be doorbell or school bell, "rack" could be storage or torture device, and "reflector" could be any reflective surface.
The Verdict
Puzzle #933 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail. Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes synonym clusters, while green requires thinking about measurement tools.
Blue separates the aviation enthusiasts from the casual observers. Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender - that bicycle accessories connection won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in words with multiple strong associations: "taxi" could connect to transportation rather than aviation, "touchdown" screams football, "scale" suggests music or climbing, and "rack" has numerous unrelated meanings. The puzzle cleverly uses these polysemous words to create false trails that can deride even experienced solvers.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone. Until then, reflect on today's performance: did you spot the aviation sequence immediately, or did "touchdown" lead you down a sports rabbit hole?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #933 is solved. See you at midnight for round #934.
