Let’s Dive into Today’s Word Game Challenge!

Welcome to today’s edition of Connections, a clever word game from the New York Times that will test your skills in grouping words by category. If you’re looking for some hints or clues, you’re in the right place!

Feeling confident after finishing the game? Why not try your hand at some more word games? Check out our daily Wordle hints and answers, Strands hints and answers, and Quordle hints and answers articles for some extra brain-teasers.

Spoiler Alert: Details about today’s NYT Connections game are included below, proceed with caution if you want to keep the answers a surprise.

NYT Connections today (game #490) – today’s words

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today’s NYT Connections words are…

CARGO
BOULDER
CLAW
HAMMER
ANVIL
HORN
CALIFORNIA
COYOTE
EGG
STIRRUP
DRUM
TNT
CAPRI
HOOF
HONOR
NAIL

NYT Connections today (game #490) – hint #1 – group hints

Looking for clues to group today’s NYT Connections words?

Yellow: Hard body part
Green: Meep meep!
Blue: You wear them
Purple: blank [What a ball would do on a slope]

Want more hints? Dive into the spoiler zone below for the theme answers to today’s NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #490) – hint #2 – group answers

Curious about the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: MADE OF KERATIN
GREEN: ROAD RUNNER CARTOON STAPLES
BLUE: KINDS OF PANTS
PURPLE: ___ ROLL

Ready for the reveal? Scroll down if you’re prepared to see the answers…

NYT Connections today (game #490) – the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 490 on a purple background — (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today’s Connections, game #490, are…

YELLOW: MADE OF KERATIN CLAW, HOOF, HORN, NAIL
GREEN: ROAD RUNNER CARTOON STAPLES ANVIL, BOULDER, COYOTE, TNT
BLUE: KINDS OF PANTS CAPRI, CARGO, HAMMER, STIRRUP
PURPLE: ___ ROLL CALIFORNIA, DRUM, EGG, HONOR

My rating: Moderate
My score: 1 mistake

Each day, the difficulty ratings assigned by NYT for Connections can sometimes be puzzling. In today’s game, the purple category involved finding the missing word that connects the four answers, typically the most challenging. However, the green and blue groups posed their own challenges, with references to Road Runner cartoon staples and types of pants.

Did you manage to solve all the groups? Share your results with me via email!

Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 12 October, game #489)

YELLOW: DRAPED ACCESSORIES SCARF, SHAWL, STOLE, WRAP
GREEN: TOLERATE BEAR, STAND, SWALLOW, TAKE
BLUE: BIRD ONOMATOPOEIA COO, GOBBLE, HONK, HOOT
PURPLE: STARTS OF CELL PHONE MAKERS APP, GOO, MOTOR, SAM

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is an engaging word game series developed by the New York Times. Players are tasked with identifying groups of four items that share a commonality, with each group varying in difficulty level. Green groups are easy, yellow are moderately challenging, blue can be tough, and purple are the most difficult.

Players have some leeway with up to four mistakes allowed and can eliminate answers to determine the final group. The game offers a more intricate challenge compared to other word games, incorporating tricks like homophones and word disguises.

You can enjoy playing NYT Connections for free on the NYT Games website on both desktop and mobile devices.