Want a different day?
A new NYT Connections puzzle appears every day at midnight for your time zone – which means some people are still playing “today’s game” while others are playing “yesterday’s.” If you are looking for the Sunday puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections Tips and Answers for Sunday, February 22 (Game #987).
Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the clever word game from the New York Times that challenges you to group answers into different categories. This can be difficult, so read on if you need tips on connections.
SPOILER WARNING: The information on NYT Connections today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (set #988) – words of the day
Today’s NYT Connections words are…
- NEW YEARS EVE
- VOLCANO
- MASQUERADE
- PARTY HAT
- CHRISTMAS
- TREE
- MISTLETOE
- THROAT
- BLUFF
- POSTURE
- CONE
- MARRIAGE
- BOLT
- SCARF
- PIERRE DE BLARNEY
- INHALE
- IN FRONT
NYT Connections today (game #988) – clue #1 – group clues
What are the clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- PURPLE: Smooch Locations
- BLUE: Pretender
- YELLOW: Gobble your food
- GREEN: Funnel-shaped
Need more clues?
We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four themed answers are for today’s NYT Connections riddles…
NYT Connections today (game #988) – clue #2 – group answers
What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- PURPLE: SETTINGS FOR A KISS
- BLUE: INSTALLATION
- YELLOW: Eating voraciously
- GREEN: CONICAL THINGS
That’s right, the answers are below, so DON’T SCROLL FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #988) – the answers
The answers to today’s Connections game #988 are…
- PURPLE: SETTINGS FOR A KISS PIERRE DE BLARNEY, Mistletoe, NEW YEAR’S EVE, WEDDING
- BLUE: INSTALLATION BLUFF, FOREHEAD, MASCARADE, POSTURE
- YELLOW: Eating voraciously BOLT, THROAT, INSPIRE, SCARF
- GREEN: CONICAL THINGS CHRISTMAS TREE, CONE, PARTY HAT, VOLCANO
- My rating: Hard
- My rating: 1 error
This game was full of traps and I managed to fall into the trap: linking BLUFF, GORGE, VOLCANO and FRONT thinking we were looking for something geographical.
Luckily, after that mistake, I picked up the purple band for the first time in weeks – a triumph with its itinerary in half-remembered knowledge of how kissing the BLARNEY STONE (a mythical rock in Blarney Castle just outside Cork in Ireland) will bring the kisser the gift of gab. Performing the kiss means leaning over the side of a high wall, so you need to be pretty determined to pull it off.
THE CONICAL THINGS eluded me, as my idea of a PARTY HAT is a paper crown and not necessarily conical, but the TILE CONE should have made this group more of a gift.
Answers from yesterday’s NYT Connections (Sunday, February 22, match #987)
- YELLOW: THE ONE WHO DOES NOT ADAPT BLACK SHEEP, UNADAPTED, PARIAH, REJECTED
- GREEN: DESCRIPTORS FOR GRAY HAIR DISTINGUISHED, MACHETED, SALT AND PEPPER, MONEY
- BLUE: CLASSIC COMICS BLONDIE, BLOOM COUNTY, PEANUTS, THE FAR SIDE
- VIOLET: ASSOCIATED WITH THEODORE ROOSEVELT BIG STICK, BULL MOOSE, RUGH RIDERS, TEDDY BEAR
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games created by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four elements that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow is a little more difficult, blue is often quite difficult, and purple is usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you technically don’t need to solve the final question, as you will be able to answer it through a process of elimination. Additionally, you can make up to four mistakes, giving you some breathing room.
However, it’s a bit more complex than something like Wordle, and the game provides plenty of opportunities to trip you up with tricks. For example, watch out for homophones and other puns that could obscure the answers.
It is playable for free via the NYT Games website on computer or mobile.
