The Wednesday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #962, delivering a grid that tests your knowledge of household items, imitation terms, audio equipment, and clever wordplay. Today's challenge particularly favors those who can spot cleaning supplies, recognize synonyms for faking it, and decode the hidden phrase patterns that make purple categories notoriously tricky.
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 #962:
RIB | MOTOR | MOCK | TIRE
PLATTER | RAG | NEEDLE | GLOVES
SHAM | BUCKET | PRETEND | TIME
SOAP | DUMMY | TONEARM | ME
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about words that mean "not the real thing" or "pretending to be something else."
Green Category Clue: These are items you'd find in a janitor's closet or cleaning supply cabinet.
Blue Category Hint: These components work together to play vinyl records.
Purple Category Teaser: Each of these words can follow "spare" to form common phrases.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Imitation): DUMMY, MOCK, PRETEND, SHAM
These four words all describe something that isn't genuine or authentic.
DUMMY refers to a fake or non-functional object, MOCK means to imitate or ridicule, PRETEND involves feigning or simulating, and SHAM describes something counterfeit or fraudulent.
Green (Cleaning Supplies): BUCKET, GLOVES, RAG, SOAP
This category collects essential items for cleaning tasks.
BUCKET holds water, GLOVES protect hands, RAG wipes surfaces, and SOAP provides the cleaning agent - together they form a basic cleaning toolkit.
Blue (Components of a Record Player): MOTOR, NEEDLE, PLATTER, TONEARM
These are the mechanical parts that make a turntable function.
The MOTOR spins the PLATTER, the TONEARM holds the NEEDLE that tracks the record's grooves - a precise quartet for vinyl enthusiasts.
Purple (Spare ___): ME, RIB, TIME, TIRE
Each word completes the phrase "spare ___" to form common expressions.
SPARE ME (as in "spare me the details"), SPARE RIB (a cut of meat), SPARE TIME (free time), and SPARE TIRE (both a car accessory and slang for belly fat).
The Verdict
Puzzle #962 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 audio equipment enthusiasts from the casual observers.
Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender - that "spare ___" pattern won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in words like "MOTOR" and "TIME" that could fit multiple categories.
MOTOR might seem like it belongs with TIRE (car parts), while TIME could connect with NEEDLE (clock components), creating deliberate misdirection that tests your category discipline.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone.
Until then, reflect on today's performance: did the cleaning supplies category clean up for you, or did the record player components leave you spinning?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #962 is solved.
See you at midnight for round #963.
