The Saturday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #979, serving up a grid that rewards Hollywood knowledge and linguistic pattern recognition. Today's challenge particularly favors film buffs and those who can spot sneaky compound word constructions.
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 #979:
SPIKE | SPEAR | LUMP | JUMP
JUNIOR | HIKE | GUMP | BUMP
SULLY | BREATH | WOODY | MOUND
PEPPER | PHILLIPS | HUMP | RISE
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: These words all describe increases or upward movements.
Green Category Clue: Think about physical irregularities or raised areas.
Blue Category Hint: These are all characters portrayed by a legendary Hollywood actor.
Purple Category Teaser: Each of these words can precede "mint" to form a common phrase.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
---
---
---
---
---
Yellow (Uptick): HIKE, JUMP, RISE, SPIKE
These four words all describe increases or upward movements.
"Spike" and "jump" suggest sudden increases, while "hike" and "rise" indicate more gradual upward trends.
Green (Protuberance): BUMP, HUMP, LUMP, MOUND
This category collects words for raised areas or physical irregularities.
From the small "bump" or "lump" to the larger "hump" or "mound," these all describe convex shapes or elevations.
Blue (Tom Hanks Roles): GUMP, PHILLIPS, SULLY, WOODY
These represent four iconic characters portrayed by Tom Hanks.
Forrest Gump ("Gump"), Captain Phillips ("Phillips"), Captain Sully Sullenberger ("Sully"), and Sheriff Woody from Toy Story ("Woody") showcase Hanks' remarkable range across decades of film.
Purple (Words Before "MINT"): BREATH, JUNIOR, PEPPER, SPEAR
Each word forms a common phrase when combined with "mint."
"Breath mint," "Junior Mint," "peppermint," and "spearmint" create this clever linguistic category that tests your knowledge of compound words and confectionery terms.
The Verdict
Puzzle #979 registers as moderate difficulty with a sting in the tail.
Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes synonym clusters, while green requires thinking about physical geography.
Blue separates the film buffs from the casual viewers.
Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender, that compound word trick won't reveal itself without serious lateral thinking.
The real trap lies in words like "spike" and "jump" that could belong to multiple categories, they fit both the "uptick" theme and could potentially mislead solvers into thinking about sports or physical actions rather than increases.
Similarly, "mound" could distract baseball fans, while "pepper" might send food enthusiasts down the wrong path.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone.
Until then, reflect on today's performance: did Tom Hanks' filmography come easily, or did the "mint" compounds stump you?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #979 is solved.
See you at midnight for round #980.
