Another day, another puzzle. You probably just woke up thinking about Wordle, right? Maybe Mini Crossword. Or Strands. But Connections is waiting.
Today’s grid is a little different. Almost meta. Every category relies on the exact same trick. You have to look at the first part of the compound phrase. The prefix. The root. If you’re stuck staring at the words like they’re alien glyphs, breathe. It’s all about how the phrases begin.
The Vibe Check
Here’s how the clues landed. They go from “duh” to “wait, what?”
- Yellow : Magic words. Think wizards and witches.
- Green : Groups of animals. Not pets, specifically group names.
- Blue : Do it again. Repetition is key.
- Purple : Rivers. Geographically inclined, slightly absurd.
“Starting with” is the theme. Don’t miss it.
The Answers
Yellow (Incantations)
This was warm. Almost too easy. You were looking for things that start with words associated with magic or curses.
* Charm bracelet
* Curse word
* Hex key
* Spell checker
See? Simple.
Green (Animal Group Names)
Now it gets trickier. You have to ignore the second word. Murder, Pack, Pride, School.
* Murder mystery (Murder = crows)
* Pack rat (Pack = wolves/animals)
* Pride Rock (Pride = lions)
* School days (School = fish)
Pride Rock might have thrown some off. Disney interference? Maybe.
Blue (Synonyms for “Repeat”)
Echo, Copy, Mirror, Quote. These aren’t just random verbs. They are ways to say “say it again.”
* Copy editor
* Echo Park
* Mirror selfie
* Quote unquote
Blue is usually where people crack. Or cry. Sometimes both.
Purple (Parts of a River)
The tough stuff. The purple box always demands you think weirdly. A river has a source, a middle, and an end. Or a bank.
* Bank teller (River bank)
* Bed head (River bed)
* Delta Airlines (River delta)
* Mouth guard (River mouth)
Bed head? Really? Sure, why not. It’s Connections. Logic is fluid.
Why Do We Keep Playing?
There’s a bot now. Like the one for Wordle. You plug your guesses in after the game ends. It spits out a numeric score. A harsh, cold judgment. If you’re registered, you can watch your win streaks dwindle or soar. It feeds the addiction. Who needs self-esteem when you have a digital scoreboard?
The Hardest Hitters
Feeling smug after solving #1097? Check these out. The archives hold some nightmares.
- #5 : “Things you can set.” Mood. Record. Table. Volleyball.
- #4 : “One in a dozen.” Egg. Juror. Month. Rose.
- #3 : “Streets on screen.” Elm. Fear. Jump. Sesame.
- #2 : “Power ___.” Nap. Plant. Ranger. Trip.
- #1 : “Things that can run.” Candidate. Faucet. Mascara. Nose.
Nose? Sure. Why not.
You solved it. Good for you. Tomorrow you’ll be back. We all are.
Until then.
