Dive in, leave your bag and keys on the kitchen counter, and try to forget the obvious meaning of most words – today's game is a challenge. If you're seeking answers to the NYT Connections challenge for November 28, 2023, keep reading – I'll offer some clues, tips, and strategies, followed by solutions for all the categories. As we traverse, I'll explain the harder words and we'll see how everything fits together.
Remember, there's a spoiler alert for NYT Connections Issue 170, November 28, ahead! If you'd like a few hints (and then answers) for today's Connections challenge, keep reading.
To conveniently access our daily dating tips, simply bookmark this page. If you're wondering what you might have missed in past puzzles, you'll find our earlier hints here.
Here are some indirect tips for today's Connections answers: Scroll slowly and collect the tips you need!
Does today's Connections challenge require special knowledge?
Geographical concepts can occasionally prove helpful. Atolls are ring-shaped islands that form due to volcanic activity and the growth of coral reefs. Between 1946 and 1958, the U.S. government used the Bikini Atoll as a nuclear test site, once forcibly relocating the residents. The two-piece swimsuit derived its name from this legendary location, a witty nod to the "explosive" reaction it would provoke.
Today's Connections challenge group tip
Here are some grouping suggestions from the current Wired magazine issue (no spoilers):
- A0n0m000002
- A0n0m000003
- A0n0m000004
- A0n0m000005
Is there a wordplay in today's Connections challenge?
There's purple text for hints today.
Are you ready for the answer? If you need further assistance, scroll on.
ATTENTION: The challenge contains spoilers for today's Connections game!
We're about to share some answers. If you don't want the entire game ruined, scroll slowly. (Full answers somewhat further below.)
What are the ambiguous words in today's interpersonal communication?
- A0n0m000007
- A0n0m000008
- A0n0m000009
- A0n0m000010
What categories exist in today's Connections challenge?
- A0n0m000012
- A0n0m000013
- A0n0m000014
- A0n0m000015
Double warning: The solution is as follows
Are you ready for answers to today's Connections challenges? I have them all listed below.
What is the yellow word in today's context?
The yellow group is considered the simplest. Today's theme for the yellow group is "Rooms Within Rooms" and the words are: Bedroom, Study, Kitchen, Study.
What is the green word in today's context?
The green group should be the second easiest. Today's theme for the green category is "Land Surrounded by Water" and the words are: Atoll, Bar, Island, Key.
What is the blue word in today's context?
The blue group is the second most complex. Today's theme for the blue category is "Overfill" and the words are: CRAM, JAM, PACK.
What are the purple words in today's connection?
The purple group is considered the most difficult. Today's theme for the lilac group is "Bean" and the words are: Bag, Counter, Dip, Sprout.
How I solved today's Connections challenges
I first looked at the rooms: Study, Kitchen, Bedroom, Study. Hmm...
Countertops, islands, and bars could be surfaces for serving or preparing food, but I couldn't find a fourth. ISLAND, ATOLL, and KEY are all small oceanic countries, but what can I do with just three of them?
I chose STUFF, PACK, JAM, and CRAM.
I was still confused about the island concept, so I looked for outliers. I wasn't sure what to do with DIP, SPROUT, or BAG. I knew that there's a high chance we'll be filling in gaps, since (1) it's common on most days and (2) Words like BAG and DIP are common and versatile enough to almost beg for completion. In the end, it came to me: "beans." Bean COUNTER completes my group.
What's left are Atolls, Islands, Islands, and Bars. Like a sandbar...
How to play "Connections"
I've prepared a comprehensive guide to playing Connections, but here's a summary of the rules:
Locate the Connections game on the New York Times website or in its Crossword Puzzle App. You are presented with a Connections board containing 16 tiles with one word or phrase each. Your task is to select a set of four tiles that share a common theme. These themes are usually kinds of things (e.g., "types of wet weather" would include "rain," "group," "hail," and "snow"), but sometimes there are wordplay themes (e.g., "bucket lists," "guest lists," and so on).
Choose four projects and click the "Send" button. If your guess is correct, the category and color will be displayed. (Yellow is the simplest, followed by green, blue, and violet.) If your guess is incorrect, you'll be given a chance to try again.
Winning Connections
Note that the group organization is challenging. Expect some overlap. For example, what looked like a breakfast food set – bacon, eggs, pancakes, omelettes, waffles, and muesli – turned out to be a set of painters. "Bucket," "close," "munch," and "whistler" belong to the painters group, while "egg" joins a group of a dozen painters (with "juror," "rose," and "month"). So don't click "Send" until you're confident that your set only includes those four things. If you're stuck, consider looking for words that may appear to have no connection to anything else. If "whistler" makes you think of "Whistler's mother"* – a famous painting – then you may have an idea. As I discovered, Close also didn't fit into any obvious category.
A winning strategy when stuck, beyond consulting hints, is to seek out words that don't seem to have any apparent connection to anything else. If "Whistler" only makes you think of the famous painting, then you may have an idea. As I discovered, "Close" didn't fit into any obvious category.
Another winning strategy when you're stuck is to seek out words that don't seem to have any apparent connection to anything else. If "Whistler" only makes you think of the famous painting, then you may have an idea. As I discovered, "Close" didn't fit into any obvious category.
Note: Whistler's Mother is a famous painting by James Abbott McNeill Whistler.
Enrichment Data:
The solutions for today's NYT Connections puzzle on November 28, 2023, are as follows:
Group 1: Rooms in a House - BEDROOM - DEN - KITCHEN - STUDY
Group 2: Land surrounded by water - ATOLL - BAR - ISLAND - KEY
Group 3: Fill to excess - CRAM - JAM - PACK
These categories and answers were provided in the archive section of the NYT Connections puzzle for November 28, 2023 [3].
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