Welcome back, puzzle enthusiasts! Whether you are kicking off your week with a thrilling cinematic dive or strictly focusing on your daily word challenges, we have everything you need to master today's puzzle. Seasonal viewings of thrillers and horror films aside, it is time to turn our full attention to the grid.

For those new to the experience, Connections is a complimentary daily word game hosted on the New York Times website and Games app. Subscribers can even access an extensive archive of previous puzzles. The objective is straightforward yet challenging: sort a grid of 16 mixed terms into four distinct groups of four, avoiding misleading red herrings along the way.

Today’s NYT Connections Word List

Examine the 16 items featured in today's puzzle before diving into the clues and categories:

  • CHEVRON
  • DOCK
  • BELL
  • PENCIL
  • POODLE
  • WRAP
  • MINI
  • MINION
  • WALRUS
  • PUPPET
  • CLOSE
  • HORSESHOE
  • ARIAL
  • STOP
  • STOOGE
  • END

Today’s NYT Connections Hints

Review these targeted category hints to guide your sorting process:

  • 🟨 Yellow group — no more
  • 🟩 Green group — underling
  • 🟦 Blue group — Freddie Mercury, Mr. Monopoly, Ron Swanson and Charlie Chaplin are among their famous proponents
  • 🟪 Purple group — would he, jazzmen, wallie and “ah, nah” would fit in here

One Answer For Each NYT Connections Group

If you need a gentle nudge before seeing the full breakdown, here is a single correct term from each cluster:

  • 🟨 Yellow group — WRAP
  • 🟩 Green group — PUPPET
  • 🟦 Blue group — WALRUS
  • 🟪 Purple group — MINI

Today’s NYT Connections Categories

The four distinct themes connecting today's terms are:

  • 🟨 Yellow group — finish
  • 🟩 Green group — lackey
  • 🟦 Blue group — mustaches
  • 🟪 Purple group — homophones of Disney characters

Today’s NYT Connections Answer

Spoiler alert! The complete solutions for today's puzzle are revealed below. Proceed with caution if you want to protect your active win streak.

  • 🟨 Yellow group — finish (CLOSE, END, STOP, WRAP)
  • 🟩 Green group — lackey (MINION, POODLE, PUPPET, STOOGE)
  • 🟦 Blue group — mustaches (CHEVRON, HORSESHOE, PENCIL, WALRUS)
  • 🟪 Purple group — homophones of Disney characters (ARIAL, BELL, DOCK, MINI)

Navigating through the word list, the yellow and green categories fell into place smoothly. While clever wordplay around familiar names like ARIAL (Ariel from The Little Mermaid), BELL (Belle from Beauty and the Beast), DOCK (Doc from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs), and MINI (Minnie Mouse) required a closer look, pulling it all together secured another successful daily victory.