The Sunday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #966, serving up a grid that rewards music enthusiasts and those who can spot sneaky wordplay patterns. Today's challenge particularly favors those with a sharp ear for slang and an eye for footwear terminology.
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 #966:
SHARP | PITCH | FLAT | HEATER
CLOG | JAM | BOOST | GLUTE
PLUG | WEDGE | HYPE | BOP
THORN | BANGER | MORGAN | MULE
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about ways to promote or advertise something.
Green Category Clue: Consider what you might wear on your feet.
Blue Category Hint: These are all terms for songs that get stuck in your head.
Purple Category Teaser: Each word becomes a musical instrument when you add a specific starting letter.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Publicize): BOOST, HYPE, PITCH, PLUG
These four words all relate to promoting or advertising something. BOOST and HYPE are straightforward promotional terms, while PITCH can mean to sell or promote an idea, and PLUG refers to giving something publicity or endorsement.
Green (Kinds of Shoes): CLOG, FLAT, MULE, WEDGE
This category focuses on different types of footwear. CLOG refers to a wooden-soled shoe, FLAT indicates shoes without heels, MULE is a backless shoe, and WEDGE describes shoes with a wedge-shaped heel.
Blue (Anthem): BANGER, BOP, HEATER, JAM
All four terms are slang for songs or musical tracks. BANGER and BOP refer to catchy, popular songs, HEATER is a term for an exciting track, and JAM can mean a musical piece or performance.
Purple (Musical Instruments Plus Starting Letter): GLUTE, MORGAN, SHARP, THORN
This tricky category requires adding the letter "F" to each word to create musical instruments: GLUTE becomes FLUTE, MORGAN becomes FORGAN (a type of organ), SHARP becomes FSHARP (a musical note), and THORN becomes FTHORN (a play on French horn).
The Verdict
Puzzle #966 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail. Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes marketing terminology, while green requires thinking about footwear varieties.
Blue separates the music slang enthusiasts from casual listeners. Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender - that musical instrument letter trick won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in words like "SHARP" and "FLAT," which could easily mislead music theory buffs into thinking they belong with musical terms rather than their actual categories. Similarly, "JAM" could connect with "CLOG" in a blockage context, but that's exactly the kind of surface-level connection that makes this puzzle challenging.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone. Until then, reflect on today's performance: did you spot the footwear connection immediately, or did the musical instrument letter trick catch you off guard?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #966 is solved. See you at midnight for round #967.
