Today's NYT Connections Hints and Answer for May 30 (#354)

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Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

What Is Connections?

Connections is a game from the New York Times. The objective is simple: sort 16 words into groups of 4. Each group of words will be connected by some common idea or theme. That common element could be anything. We have seen everything from games that rely on the number of letters in the words to categories that require you to spot an extra letter at the end of the word. Sometimes they're references to economics, other times they reference fairy tales. There is no telling what sort of association there will be between words.

Once you're confident you understand the connection, select 4 words, then hit "Submit." You have only four attempts in total, so don't be too guess-happy.

Hints for Today's Connections Groups

Here are a few hints for the 354th Connections game to get you started:

  • Yellow: When you attack and steal things.
  • Green: Social power.
  • Blue: Also, bald or a mullet.
  • Purple: ____ and needles is what you feel when your arm falls asleep.

If you still need help, the actual group names are:

  • Yellow: Plunder.
  • Green: Influence.
  • Blue: Hairstyles.
  • Purple: ____ Pin.

Today's NYT Connections Answers

Plunder (Yellow):

Loot, Raid, Rob, Sack

Influence (Green):

Clout, Pull, Sway, Weight

Hairstyles (Blue):

Bob, Chop, Fade, Shag

____ Pin (Purple):

Bobby, Hair, Push, Safety

How Did We Solve This Connections Game?

May 30th was a pretty average game. The first word I noticed was sway. Sway can mean to move back and forth, but it can also mean "influence." With influence in mind, cloud, pull, and weight seemed like good fits. Green was "Influence" in the sense of "She was very influential."

Next I saw loot. Loot can be a noun or a verb, but either way, I immediately thought of piracy. Raid, rob, and sack are also words that mean "to steal," so I figured they probably belonged together. Yellow group was "Plunder."

That left only 8 words left. Bob and bobby are annoyingly similar, and therefore probably not in the same group. Bob can mean to move (as in something floating in water), but it can also refer to a haircut. With haircut in mind, fade and shag stood out immediately. Chop is more often a verb unrelated to haircuts, but it also describes a trendy haircut. Together, bob, chop, fade, and shag were "Hairstyles" in the Blue group.

That left bobby, hair, push, and safety in Purple. As usual, I started throwing words on the end to see if anything felt right. Pin was the first word I tried out (what else goes after bobby?), and it also worked for every other remaining word too! Purple was "____ Pin."

How Do You Guess Connections Groups?

There is no quick, reliable way to approach Connections like there is with Wordle, since Connections isn't algorithmic. However, there are a few things to keep in mind that can help.

  • Look for similar parts of speech. Are some words verbs and others nouns? Are some adjectives? Try mentally grouping them based on those categories and see if any other patterns jump out at you.
  • Are the words synonyms? Sometimes categories will just be synonyms for a phrase, or very close to synonyms. Don't rely too closely on this, though. Occasionally, Connections will deliberately throw in words that are sometimes synonyms to mislead you.
  • Try saying the words. Sometimes, saying the words helps. One puzzle we saw included the words go, rate, faster, clip, pace, speed, move, commute, and hurry—all of which are obviously related to the idea of motion. However, when you say them, it becomes a little more obvious that only four (go, move, hurry, faster) are things you'd actually say to prompt someone to get moving.
  • Expect the red herring. Connections usually has words that could be plausibly, yet incorrectly, grouped together. Take the words Bud, Corona, and Light, as an example. You might instinctively see those three words together and assume they're lumped together in a category related to beer—but they weren't.
  • Look for distinct words. If a word on your board doesn't have multiple meanings or can really only be used in one context, try using that word as the basis for a category.
  • Shuffle the board. Sometimes, moving words around will help you look at them in new ways.

    • If you didn't solve this one, don't feel too bad—there's always tomorrow! And those words may align with a topic you're interested in, giving you a leg up on the competition.

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