The Monday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #946, serving up a grid that rewards vocabulary precision and lateral thinking. Today's challenge particularly favors those who can spot both obvious thematic clusters and clever wordplay 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 #946:
HANDSHAKE | COMPACT | ARMCHAIR | EXPERT
CONSOLE | HEADQUARTER | NOVICE | FOOTSTOOL
UNDERSTANDING | PUMPERNICKEL | PROFICIENT | AGREEMENT
CEFTAZIDIME | INTERMEDIATE | BOOKCASE | MONEYPENNY
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about where you might sit to read a good book.
Green Category Clue: Consider how you'd describe someone's skill level progression.
Blue Category Hint: These are all ways to formalize an arrangement between parties.
Purple Category Teaser: Look beyond the dictionary definitions to what these words end with phonetically.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
-- --
-- --
-- --
-- --
-- --
-- --
Blue (Promise): AGREEMENT, COMPACT, HANDSHAKE, UNDERSTANDING
These four words all represent formal or informal commitments between parties.
AGREEMENT and COMPACT are explicit contracts, while HANDSHAKE and UNDERSTANDING represent more informal, trust-based arrangements.
Green (Experience Levels): EXPERT, INTERMEDIATE, NOVICE, PROFICIENT
This category tracks the progression of skill acquisition from beginner to master.
NOVICE starts the journey, INTERMEDIATE represents developing competence, PROFICIENT indicates solid capability, and EXPERT marks mastery.
Yellow (Living Room Furniture): ARMCHAIR, BOOKCASE, CONSOLE, FOOTSTOOL
These are all pieces of furniture commonly found in living rooms or studies.
ARMCHAIR and FOOTSTOOL form a seating pair, while BOOKCASE and CONSOLE (as in a TV console or decorative table) complete the room's furnishings.
Purple (Ending in U.S. Coins): CEFTAZIDIME, HEADQUARTER, MONEYPENNY, PUMPERNICKEL
This is the puzzle's trick category, relying on phonetic wordplay rather than semantic meaning.
Each word ends with a sound that matches a U.S. coin: CEFTAZIDIME (dime), HEADQUARTER (quarter), MONEYPENNY (penny), and PUMPERNICKEL (nickel).
The Verdict
Puzzle #946 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail.
Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes furniture terms, while green requires thinking about skill progression hierarchies.
Blue separates those who think about formal agreements from casual solvers.
Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender - that phonetic coin trick won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in words like "CONSOLE" and "COMPACT" that could fit multiple categories.
CONSOLE could be furniture or emotional support, while COMPACT could be an agreement or something small - forcing solvers to consider context carefully.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone.
Until then, reflect on today's performance: did you spot the furniture cluster immediately, or did the coin wordplay catch you off guard?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #946 is solved.
See you at midnight for round #947.
