The Monday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #974, delivering a grid that tests your knowledge of craft supplies, payment structures, and idiomatic expressions. Today's challenge particularly favors those who can spot weaving terminology and recognize the subtle connections between seemingly unrelated words.
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 #974:
APPROACH | BONUS | POKER | NEEDLE
STRAWS | LOOM | STYLE | ADVANCE
NEAR | WAY | SCISSORS | FEE
ROYALTY | YARN | MANNER | THE LINE
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about what you'd find in a craft room or sewing kit.
Green Category Clue: These words all describe how something is done or accomplished.
Blue Category Hint: Consider how creative professionals get paid for their work.
Purple Category Teaser: Each of these words completes the phrase "DRAW ___" in common expressions.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Used in Weaving): LOOM, NEEDLE, SCISSORS, YARN
These four words form a straightforward craft category.
LOOM is the weaving apparatus, NEEDLE and SCISSORS are essential sewing tools, and YARN is the fundamental material, all items you'd find in any serious textile workspace.
Green (Method): APPROACH, MANNER, STYLE, WAY
This category collects synonyms for "method" or "technique."
APPROACH, MANNER, STYLE, and WAY all describe how something is done, whether it's solving a problem, behaving, creating art, or accomplishing a task.
Blue (Kinds of Payment for an Author): ADVANCE, BONUS, FEE, ROYALTY
Here's where the puzzle gets more specialized.
These are all payment types authors might receive: an ADVANCE against future royalties, a BONUS for hitting sales targets, a flat FEE for specific work, and ROYALTY payments based on sales percentages.
Purple (DRAW ___): NEAR, POKER, STRAWS, THE LINE
The trickiest category requires recognizing idiomatic expressions.
Each word completes "DRAW ___": DRAW NEAR (approach), DRAW POKER (a type of poker game), DRAW STRAWS (choose randomly), and DRAW THE LINE (set a boundary).
The Verdict
Puzzle #974 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail.
Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes craft supplies, while green requires thinking about synonyms for methodology.
Blue separates the publishing industry insiders from casual observers.
Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender, those "DRAW ___" expressions won't reveal themselves without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in words like "NEEDLE" and "SCISSORS" that could mislead craft-focused solvers into grouping them with "YARN" and "LOOM" too early, potentially missing the more subtle connections.
"ADVANCE" and "BONUS" also create surface-level financial connections that might distract from the author-specific payment theme.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone.
Until then, reflect on today's performance: did you spot the weaving tools immediately, or did the payment structures trip you up?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #974 is solved.
See you at midnight for round #975.
