Hint for July 11 Connections #396 is to Watch That Yellow Category
Connections No. 396, for July 11, tries to fake players out with one specific word.
- Co-author of two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedia for Penguin Books. Won "Headline Writer of the Year" award for 2017, 2014 and 2013 from the American Copy Editors Society. Won first place in headline writing from the 2013 Society for Features Journalism.
In search of today's Connections answers? You've found them.
The yellow category on Connections is usually the easiest one, but of course, it can be tricky. Today, it seems pretty straightforward, but there's one word that eventually lands in the green category seems like it really belongs with the others in yellow. If you think about the word, though, it turns out it fits better in another group. How vague is that? (Think school supplies vs office supplies.) Scroll down for clearer hints, and the eventual answer.
And do you also play Wordle? We've got today's Wordle answer and hints too.
We've also got today's answer and some general tips for Strands, a new game from the Times that's just moved out of beta and into the NYT's Games app.
Read more: NYT Connections Could Be the New Wordle: Our Hints and Tips
Hints for today's Connections groups
Here are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.
Yellow group hint: Load up your locker.
Green group hint: Of central importance.
Blue group hint: Move or convey.
Purple group hint: Bright public messages.
Answers for today's Connections groups
Yellow group: School supplies.
Green group: Fundamental.
Blue group: Transfer.
Purple group: Light-up signs.
Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words
What are today's Connections answers?
The yellow words in today's Connections
The theme is school supplies. The four answers are pen, ruler, scissors and tape.
The green words in today's Connections
The theme is fundamental. The four answers are essential, key, principal and staple. (Staple really does seem like a school supply, but it's really an office supply -- few kids are supplied with their own staplers, though their teacher may have one.)
The blue words in today's Connections
The theme is transfer. The four answers are give, hand, pass and send.
The purple words in today's Connections
The theme is light-up signs. The four answers are applause, exit, recording and walk.
How to play Connections
Playing is easy. Winning is hard. Look at the 16 words and mentally assign them to related groups of four. Click on the four words you think go together. The groups are coded by color, though you don't know what goes where until you see the answers. The yellow group is the easiest, then green, then blue, and purple is the toughest. Look at the words carefully, and think about related terms. Sometimes the connection has to do with just a part of the word. Once, four words were grouped because each started with the name of a rock band, including "Rushmore" and "Journeyman."