The Thursday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #935, serving up a grid that rewards vocabulary depth and lateral thinking. Today's challenge particularly favors wordplay enthusiasts and those who can spot sneaky homophone patterns.
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 #935:
SHUCK | SCOTCH | HEAD | RAT
CURSE | SKIN | NUT | FLY
HOUND | FINGERS | SPELL | SHELL
CHARM | BUFF | PEEL | HEX
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about supernatural influences and magical effects.
Green Category Clue: Consider actions you perform on fruits, vegetables, or nuts to access what's inside.
Blue Category Hint: These words all describe someone who's deeply passionate or knowledgeable about a particular subject.
Purple Category Teaser: Each word completes the phrase "BUTTER ___" in common English expressions.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
Yellow (Bit of Magic): CHARM, CURSE, HEX, SPELL
These four words all represent forms of magical influence or supernatural effects. "Charm" can be both a magical spell and an attractive quality, while "curse" and "hex" are specifically negative magical afflictions.
"Spell" completes the set as the general term for magical incantations. The tricky part here is that "spell" could also connect with "head" (as in headache) or "fingers" (typing), but in this context, it's firmly in the magical realm.
Green (Remove the covering from): PEEL, SHELL, SHUCK, SKIN
This category is all about removing outer layers. "Peel" applies to fruits and vegetables, "shell" to nuts and eggs, "shuck" specifically to corn or oysters, and "skin" to fruits, vegetables, or animals.
The connection is straightforward once you recognize the common action, though "skin" might initially distract players thinking about body parts or leather.
Blue ("Enthusiast" equivalent): BUFF, HEAD, HOUND, RAT
Here's where vocabulary depth pays off. All four words can mean "enthusiast" or "expert" in specific contexts: a "film buff," a "tech head," a "coffee hound," or a "gym rat." The challenge is that these words have more common meanings that dominate initial thinking - "head" as body part, "hound" as dog, "rat" as rodent, and "buff" as polish.
This category separates casual players from vocabulary veterans.
Purple (BUTTER ___): FINGERS, FLY, NUT, SCOTCH
The trickiest category relies on recognizing common phrases with "butter." We have "butterfingers" (clumsy person), "butterfly" (insect), "butternut" (type of squash), and "butterscotch" (candy). The homophone trick with "scotch" (whisky) versus "butterscotch" is particularly devious, and "fly" standing alone could easily mislead players toward insect categories.
The Verdict
Puzzle #935 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail. Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes synonym clusters, while green requires thinking about your evening routine.
Blue separates the vocabulary buffs from the casual observers. Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender - that "BUTTER ___" pattern won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in how many words have multiple strong connections. "Head" could pair with "skin" (body parts), "spell" (headache), or "buff" (polish).
"Fly" could connect with "butter" (butterfly) or stand alone as an insect. "Scotch" as whisky distracts from the butterscotch connection.
And "rat" as rodent competes with "rat" as enthusiast. This puzzle rewards players who can hold multiple potential connections in mind simultaneously.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone. Until then, reflect on today's performance: did you spot the "BUTTER ___" pattern immediately, or did the homophones trip you up?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #935 is solved. See you at midnight for round #936.
