The Friday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #964, serving up a grid that rewards spatial thinking and everyday object recognition. Today's challenge particularly favors those who can spot both literal and figurative connections between common items and concepts.
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 #964:
MINUTE | TAPE | AREA | COMPACT
POCKET | COMB | POKER | STICKER
PATCH | BAND-AID | NAIL FILE | LINT ROLLER
UPPER | CLUSTER | HELPING | TWEEZERS
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about different ways to describe sections or concentrations of something.
Green Category Clue: These are all items you might find in a grooming kit or personal care collection.
Blue Category Hint: Consider what these objects have in common when it comes to how they stick to things.
Purple Category Teaser: This category requires thinking about compound phrases where each word can be paired with "hand."
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Region): AREA, CLUSTER, PATCH, POCKET
These four words all describe specific sections, concentrations, or defined spaces. "Area" and "patch" refer to physical spaces, while "cluster" and "pocket" describe concentrated groups or isolated sections.
Green (Grooming Items): COMB, COMPACT, NAIL FILE, TWEEZERS
This category collects personal care tools used for grooming and appearance maintenance. Each item serves a specific function in personal hygiene routines, from hair styling to nail care.
Blue (Things With Adhesive Surfaces): BAND-AID, LINT ROLLER, STICKER, TAPE
These objects all feature adhesive properties that allow them to stick to surfaces. The connection lies in their functional use of adhesive backing or sticky surfaces to perform their intended tasks.
Purple (___ Hand): HELPING, MINUTE, POKER, UPPER
This tricky category forms compound phrases when paired with "hand": helping hand, minute hand, poker hand, and upper hand. The puzzle cleverly hides this connection by presenting the words individually, requiring solvers to think about common two-word phrases.
The Verdict
Puzzle #964 registers as moderate difficulty with a clever linguistic twist. Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes spatial terminology, while green requires thinking about personal care routines.
Blue separates those who think about functional properties from those who focus on surface appearances. Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender, that compound phrase trick won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking about common expressions.
The real trap lies in words like "compact" and "pocket" that could easily fit multiple categories - "compact" could be mistaken for something small rather than a makeup item, while "pocket" might be grouped with adhesive items if you think about pocket lint rollers. "Upper" and "helping" are particularly devious without the "hand" connection, appearing completely unrelated at first glance.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone. Until then, reflect on today's performance: did you spot the "hand" connection immediately, or did the adhesive category trick you?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #964 is solved. See you at midnight for round #965.
