If you are struggling to find the connections in today’s New York Times puzzle, you aren’t alone. The April 21 edition features a particularly tricky “Purple” category that requires a bit of pop-culture knowledge to crack.
Below, we provide progressive hints and the full solution set to help you finish your daily game.
💡 Hints for Today’s Groups
If you want to solve the puzzle on your own, use these hints sparingly. They are ranked from the most straightforward (Yellow) to the most abstract (Purple).
- Yellow Hint: To move at a relaxed, slow pace.
- Green Hint: A synonym for nonsense or “malarkey.”
- Blue Hint: Different styles of carrying belongings.
- Purple Hint: Think of the world’s most famous British spy, 007.
✅ Today’s Full Answers
If you are stuck and need the complete solution, here are the four groupings for today’s puzzle:
Yellow: Amble (in)
The theme revolves around walking leisurely.
– Breeze
– Mosey
– Stroll
– Waltz
Green: Balderdash
The theme consists of slang terms for nonsense.
– Baloney
– Bilge
– Bull
– Bunk
Blue: Kinds of Bags
The theme identifies various types of handheld or worn bags.
– Crossbody
– Hobo
– Messenger
– Saddle
Purple: Starts of One-Word James Bond Movie Titles
The theme uses the first part of iconic 007 film titles.
– Gold (Goldfinger )
– Moon (Moonraker )
– Octopus (Octopussy )
– Thunder (Thunderball )
🧠 Strategies for Mastering Connections
The NYT Connections puzzle is designed to mislead players by using “red herrings”—words that seem to belong together but actually belong to different categories. To improve your win rate, consider these professional tips:
- Listen to the sounds: Say the words out loud. Often, the connection isn’t in the definition of the word, but in how it fits into a common phrase (e.g., words that follow “____ Up”).
- Avoid the “Obvious” Trap: The editors frequently place words together that seem to share a theme only to split them across different categories. If a group feels too easy, double-check it against the remaining words.
- Deconstruct Compound Words: Look closely at the components of words. A word might not be a category on its own, but its prefix or suffix might be the key to a larger pattern.
- Use the “Shuffle” Feature: If you are staring at the grid and feeling stuck, hitting the shuffle button can help break your mental fixation on a specific grouping and provide a fresh perspective.
Pro Tip: For players looking to track their performance, the NYT now offers a Connections Bot. Registered users can analyze their win rates, streaks, and perfect scores to see how they stack up against other players.
Summary: Today’s puzzle relies heavily on wordplay and cinematic references, specifically targeting fans of the James Bond franchise to solve the final, most difficult category.
