This is yesterday's NYT Connections puzzle (November 4, 2026). See today's NYT Connections puzzle.
Wednesday morning, and sixteen words are staring back at you like they all belong somewhere else, that is where yesterday's nyt connection begins. It is the kind of board Wyna Liu and the NYT Games team love to build, one that rewards a patient second look over a fast first guess, and it keeps your streak honest without ever feeling unfair. Here is a gentle way in: start with the words on the little tag inside your shirt, because four of them are warnings you have read a hundred times without noticing. Then gather the shapes that taper to a fine point, and let the trickiest four wait until the board thins. Save the flame trick for last, because it only clicks when you read what sits in front of each leftover word. Work through the nyt connections hints below, from a gentle nudge to the full reveal, and this nyt connection will reward you for slowing down before you peek at yesterday's connections answers.
Yesterday's NYT Connections puzzle details
- Date
- November 4, 2026
- Puzzle #
- #1242
- Groups
- 4 (Yellow to Purple)
Spoiler warning: the hints here are spoiler-safe. The answer is hidden further down this page behind a clear reveal control. Scroll carefully.
Yesterday's NYT Connections hints
Climb the ladder from the gentlest nudge to the strongest clue. No peeking at the next clue until you've given the current one a real try.
Yellow Group - The easy winGentle
Think of solid shapes that narrow from a broad back to a fine point, because four of them share that very profile.
Green Group - Warming upWarm
Check the little tag sewn inside your shirt, because four laundry warnings are hiding in this group.
Blue Group - Getting trickyTricky
Think of ways to drift through an afternoon doing not very much, because four verbs for lazy wandering belong together here.
Purple Group - The brain teaserTricky
Put a word for flames in front of each leftover word, because four of them light up that way.
Final nudge - Almost thereStrongest
Lock in the tapering shapes and the laundry warnings first, then sort the lazy drifters from the flame starters among what is left.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers
Open only the groups you need. Each reveal stays hidden until you tap it.
Reveal the Yellow group
TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGEDOORSTOP, FLATIRON BUILDING, PIE SLICE, WEDGE
Reveal the Green group
WORDS AFTER DO NOT ON A CARE LABELBLEACH, IRON, TUMBLE DRY, WRING
Reveal the Blue group
MOVE IDLY, WITH AROUNDLOLL, POKE, PUTTER, SHUFFLE
Reveal the Purple group
FIRE___CRACKER, FLY, WOOD, WORKS
Reveal the full solved board
Yesterday's games
Missed yesterday? See yesterday's hints and answers for every game.
What does yesterday's NYT Connections answer mean?
Reveal the meanings (contains spoilers)
Yesterday's connections answers reward the patient solver. The yellow group (TRIANGULAR PRISMS WITH A SHARP EDGE: DOORSTOP, FLATIRON BUILDING, PIE SLICE, WEDGE) was the friendly opener, four shapes that narrow from a broad back to a fine point. Green (WORDS AFTER DO NOT ON A CARE LABEL: BLEACH, IRON, TUMBLE DRY, WRING) gathered the warnings on the tag inside your shirt, four things you are told never to do to a garment. Blue (MOVE IDLY, WITH AROUND: LOLL, POKE, PUTTER, SHUFFLE) collected four verbs for drifting through an afternoon, each one taking AROUND after it. And the purple finish (FIRE___: CRACKER, FLY, WOOD, WORKS) hid a hot little trick at the front of each word, because CRACKER becomes firecracker, FLY becomes firefly, WOOD becomes firewood, and WORKS becomes fireworks. The decoys did their job. IRON could have pulled toward the shapes, since a clothes iron has a pointed end, but it stayed with the laundry warnings once you read it as something a care tag forbids. PUTTER could have pulled toward golf, but it stayed with the idle verbs once you heard it as wandering without a plan. That is classic Wyna Liu misdirection, and it is why the final group felt so satisfying once it landed, and why this nyt connection will stay with you after you close the board.
How hard is yesterday's NYT Connections?
Difficulty: Medium
Start with the laundry warnings, since four of them are the easiest pattern to spot once you picture the tag inside your shirt. Then collect the tapering shapes before the idle verbs tempt you to scatter them. Leave the trickiest four until the board thins, because those only look obvious once the other groups are gone. For the hardest group, put a word for flames in front of each leftover word.
What were the recent NYT Connections answers?
- November 3, 2026Yellow: KEEP GOING (CARRY ON, CONTINUE, PROCEED, RESUME). Green: THINGS WITH WHEELS (OFFICE CHAIR, ROLLER BAG, SHOPPING CART, STROLLER). Blue: THINGS A SERVER BRINGS AT A RESTAURANT (CHECK, FOOD, MENU, TAP WATER). Purple: ENDING IN MENU BAR HEADINGS (CREDIT, INTERVIEW, PROFILE, WHELP).
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is the daily word sorting game from NYT Games, created by editor Wyna Liu and launched in 2023. It gives you sixteen words on a 4x4 board and asks you to find four hidden groups of four, with four mistakes allowed.
The categories range from the everyday, like synonyms or measurements, to trivia and wordplay, like band names or puzzle fragments. A new puzzle drops every day at midnight, so there is always a fresh board waiting for you.
How do you play NYT Connections?
- You get a board of 16 words. Your job is to sort them into four secret groups of four, and every word belongs to exactly one group.
- Each group shares something in common, like words that mean the same thing, parts of a familiar category, or names that each need one extra word in front.
- Tap four words you think belong together, then hit Submit. If you are right, the group locks in and its color is revealed.
- You get four mistakes total. Groups are color coded by difficulty, from yellow (the easiest) through green and blue to purple (the trickiest).
- Clear all four groups before your mistakes run out and you win. Run out of mistakes and the board reveals the answers, so you can try again tomorrow.
What are the best NYT Connections strategies?
- Start with the gimme: scan for the group that jumps out at you, usually four words with an obvious link like synonyms or measurements. Locking it in first clears clutter and leaves fewer words to confuse you.
- Respect the red herrings: some words are traps that could fit two groups, like a word that works as both a verb and a noun. If a group feels almost right, double check each word against the others before you submit.
- Shuffle for a fresh look: the board order can trick your brain into seeing fake patterns. Hit shuffle to scramble the tiles and break the illusion, then look again with fresh eyes.
- Use the one away nudge: when the game tells you that you are one away, you have three of the four right. Swap out one word at a time instead of starting over, and you will usually land it.
- Save the wordplay for last: the purple group is almost always a pun or a fragment, like the starts of longer puzzle names. Tackle it once the other groups have narrowed the board.
More daily puzzles
Strategy guides
Frequently asked questions
What is NYT Connections?
It is the daily word game from NYT Games. You get 16 words on a board and must sort them into four groups of four, each sharing a hidden link. The groups are ranked from yellow (easiest) to purple (trickiest), and you get four mistakes before the round is over.
How do the color groups work?
Yellow is the most straightforward group, then green, then blue. Purple is the trickiest and usually involves wordplay. You get four mistakes before the round is over, and each color is revealed only when you solve that group.
When does Connections reset?
A new puzzle drops at midnight where you live, every single day. Everyone gets the same board, which is why you can compare results with friends.
Where can I play NYT Connections?
Through NYT Games, on their website and in the app, alongside their other daily puzzles. SolveDaily is not affiliated with the New York Times; we publish our own independent hints and answers.
Why is the purple group always the hardest?
Because it is almost always wordplay. Yellow through blue are usually about meaning or trivia, but purple asks you to read the words differently: as fragments, fill in the blanks, or puns. If you are stuck on the last four words, try reading them as parts of longer words instead of standalone terms.