NYT Connections Colors Explained
Every Connections puzzle has four groups, and each one is assigned a color that tells you how hard the editors consider it. Yellow is the gentlest and purple is the trickiest. The twist is that you only see the color after you solve a group, so the colors are a scoreboard, not a map.
Yellow: straightforward
Yellow groups use a clear, familiar link. Words are usually literal members of a simple category, or they all fit the same everyday phrase. If you can see four words that obviously belong together, there is a good chance you are looking at yellow.
Green: a step up
Green is still approachable but asks for a bit more thought. The link may be looser, a common phrase with a blank to fill in, or a category that overlaps with another group on the board.
Blue: trivia and clever phrases
Blue groups often lean on general knowledge, a less obvious meaning of the words, or a phrase that only clicks once you see it. Players tend to get blue after yellow and green have shrunk the board.
Purple: wordplay and hidden patterns
Purple is usually the hardest group. Look for words that hide other words, change by a single letter, share a silent pattern, or follow the same missing word. Because purple tends to be what is left at the end, you rarely need to find it directly.
How to use the colors to solve faster
- Do not trust "easy-looking" groups. A group that looks simple may be a green or blue made of red herrings.
- Work backward from purple. If you spot a purple-style pattern, remove those words early and the rest of the board gets easier.
- Solve the safest group first. Color order matters less than which group has exactly four sure members.
- Read the colors after the fact. Seeing which color a group turns can reveal how the editors think and help you with tomorrow's puzzle.
Our hints follow the same color order
On every puzzle page we list the hints from yellow to purple and label how tricky each group is, so you can stop as soon as you have the nudge you need. Start with today's hints, or read the strategy guide and the list of common category types.
Questions people ask
What do the Connections colors mean?
Yellow is the most straightforward group, green is a little harder, blue is trickier and often involves trivia or a clever phrase, and purple is usually the hardest, often built on wordplay. The colors only appear after you solve a group. Colors explained →
Which Connections color is hardest?
Purple is usually the hardest because it tends to rely on wordplay, hidden patterns or an unusual category. Blue is often a trivia or phrase group. Difficulty is revealed only after a group is solved, so do not assume the easy-looking group is yellow.
What is a red herring in Connections?
A red herring is a word that seems to fit one group but actually belongs in another. Puzzle editors plant them on purpose, often by making five or six words fit a theme when only four are correct.
How can I get better at Connections?
Scan all 16 words before you tap, find words that fit only one group first, use the shuffle button to clear false patterns, and treat every word as having a second meaning. Playing daily builds a mental library of the category types the editors favor. Read the strategy guide →