NYT “Connections” December 1: Hints and Answers for Game #539

Connections was launched by The New York Times in June 2023 and is the newspaper’s second most played game after Wordle, another word-based puzzle.

Connections challenges players to uncover threads that connect a series of words. Instructions on how to play the game can be found below. You can find clues and answers for today’s puzzle at the end of the article.

How to play connections

The goal of Connections is to divide the 16 words you’re initially given into four categories based on common characteristics. Players each choose four words. When connected to form one of the four categories, the letters light up and are removed from the board.

Each of the four categories is color-coded to indicate its level of difficulty, with yellow representing the easiest category, followed by green, blue and purple. Once you have correctly linked four words, their color is displayed, so you know how difficult the quiz takers thought that part of the puzzle was.

There is no time limit, but players can only make up to four mistakes until the end of the game, which is a loss. The player can also reshuffle the board at any time, meaning the 16 words will be randomly rearranged.

Sometimes a word seems to belong in more than one category, but there is always only one correct answer.

Connections editor Wyna Liu previously pointed out that if you have five cards that belong in the same category, your best bet might be to switch to a different category and try cutting out some of the words.

“This could take one of those additional cards out of contention or at least remove a few cards from the board, making other categories easier to see,” she said.

The answers to Saturday’s Connections puzzle are below. So please scroll down carefully if you want to find out for yourself.

Connections #539 Notes for Sunday, December 1st

Newsweek has some pointers to help you understand today’s Connections categories.

Yellow: Think about security.

Green: Associated with a sport.

Blue: Tastes good.

Purple: Everyone follows the same word.

Connections #539 Answers for Sunday, December 1st

Yellow category: REFUGE

Yellow words: Haven, haven, retreat, shelter

Green category: FOOTBALL EQUIPMENT

Green words: cleats, helmet, jersey, pads

Blue category: CANDY NAMES

Blue words: CHARMS, CHILDREN, WONKA, YORK

Purple Category: “FREE …”

Purple words: BIRD, FALLIN’, SOLO, WILLY

Well, that was great fun! Did you find out the answer? If so, congratulations, but if not, please don’t let that put you off playing. Practice makes perfect, and the next Connections puzzle will be published by Just on Monday. Newsweek Of course I will come back with lots of tips and tricks.