The Sunday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #938, serving up a grid that rewards football knowledge and wordplay prowess. Today's challenge particularly favors sports 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 #938:
GRUMP | COPY | BLOCK | PRINT
ISSUE | SCAN | CRANK | SACK
REEL | ETAIL | TACKLE | WIND
DREAR | BLITZ | COIL | EDITION
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about what comes off a printing press.
Green Category Clue: These are all ways to store or manage something that winds.
Blue Category Hint: Sunday afternoon activities for defensive players.
Purple Category Teaser: Each word is a synonym for "butt" with a starting letter added.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Paper Publication): COPY, EDITION, ISSUE, PRINT
These four words all refer to different aspects of printed materials.
COPY refers to a single printed item, EDITION to a specific version, ISSUE to a publication release, and PRINT to the physical act of printing.
Green (Spool): COIL, CRANK, REEL, WIND
All four words describe mechanisms or actions related to winding or spooling.
COIL refers to something wound in circles, CRANK to a winding mechanism, REEL to a spool for winding, and WIND to the action itself.
Blue (Things a Defensive Football Player Does): BLITZ, BLOCK, SACK, TACKLE
This category is pure football terminology for defensive actions.
BLITZ is an aggressive rush, BLOCK is stopping an opponent, SACK is tackling the quarterback, and TACKLE is bringing down the ball carrier.
Purple (Synonyms for Butt Plus Starting Letter): DREAR, ETAIL, GRUMP, SCAN
The trickiest category requires recognizing that each word is a synonym for "butt" with an added starting letter.
DREAR = REAR + D, ETAIL = TAIL + E, GRUMP = RUMP + G, SCAN = CAN + S.
The Verdict
Puzzle #938 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail.
Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes publishing terminology, while green requires thinking about mechanical winding mechanisms.
Blue separates the football fans from the casual observers.
Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender - that homophone-plus-letter trick won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in words like "SCAN" and "BLOCK" that could fit multiple categories.
SCAN could connect with COPY/PRINT for digital publishing, while BLOCK could pair with COIL/REEL for physical objects.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone.
Until then, reflect on today's performance: did football knowledge save you, or did the homophone trick catch you off guard?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #938 is solved.
See you at midnight for round #939.
