NYT Connections Answers (June 12): From Gossip To Cuddles, Today’s Puzzle Packs A Punch
Connections requires players to sort 16 seemingly unrelated words into four groups of four, based on a shared theme.
NYT Connections Today: Thursday’s Connections puzzle welcomed solvers with a deceptively cozy opening. Four words — Cuddling, Hugging, Snuggling, and Spooning — came together under the Yellow category, aptly titled Getting Cozy. If you gravitated toward terms of endearment and warmth, this one may have felt like a soft landing.
According to the New York Times’ guide, Connections is one of the most popular (and challenging) daily puzzle games in its stable. The game requires players to sort 16 seemingly unrelated words into four groups of four, based on a shared theme. But as always, the challenge isn’t just finding the links — it’s dodging the red herrings.
Whispers, Spills, and Buzz: The Gossip Group Emerges
The Green category today was all about chatter and speculation. Words like Buzzing, Dishing, Spilling, and Whispering aligned under the theme Gossiping. If you’ve ever described a juicy rumour as “the tea” or “a spill,” this cluster probably clicked for you.
The NYT’s hints nudged players toward this group by asking, “When people are discussing rumours, what might you call it?” That subtle nudge helped many solvers get in on the whisper network early.
Pins, Needles, and Bodyslams: A Surprisingly Pointy Set
One of the trickier sets was the Blue group — Engaging in an Activity with Pins or Needles. This group included Bowling, Wrestling, Sewing, and Acupuncturing. At first glance, combining needlework with combat sports might seem like a stretch. But the unifying element — literal pins or figurative “pinning” — pulled the group together cleverly.
An additional hint from the NYT: “Look for pins and needles.” That turned out to be both literal and figurative.
All Rise: Titles Take the Final Round
The Purple category, deemed the hardest by the NYT, revolved around honorifics or positions that begin with titles. Doctoring, Lording, Missing, and Siring were grouped under Starting With Titles. “Doctor”, “Lord”, “Miss”, and “Sir” are all common prefixes — if you looked beyond the gerunds, the theme became clear.
The NYT noted that “each group contains at least one word starting with an 'S’”, and encouraged players to group ‘hobbies’ first — another subtle tactic to weed out the misdirections.
In Case You Missed It: The Full Solution
Here’s the final solution to Connections puzzle #731 for Thursday, June 12:
- Yellow - Getting Cozy: Cuddling, Hugging, Snuggling, Spooning
- Green - Gossiping: Buzzing, Dishing, Spilling, Whispering
- Blue - Pins or Needles Activities: Acupuncturing, Bowling, Sewing, Wrestling
- Purple - Starting With Titles: Doctoring, Lording, Missing, Siring
Remember, you only get three strikes before the puzzle locks you out. But with a bit of logic — and perhaps a little help — it’s always possible to make the right connections.
Top Headlines
