Connections puzzle #498 was published on October 21, 2024, so it is an archived puzzle—not today’s new board. Want a nudge before the answers? The four links are a bean category, verbs meaning “attract,” automatic gear-shifter positions, and words that pair with “pool.” Full groups and the original 16-word board are below.
Hints for Connections #498
- Yellow: Four varieties of a familiar food.
- Green: Verbs for drawing someone or something toward you.
- Blue: Settings on an automatic transmission’s gear selector.
- Purple: Add the same word after each answer to form a compound.
Connections #498 answers for October 21, 2024
The solution groups are:
- Kinds of beans: KIDNEY, MUNG, NAVY, PINTO
- Attract: DRAW, GRAB, HOOK, PULL
- Automatic gear shifter positions: DRIVE, LOW, NEUTRAL, REVERSE
- ___POOL: CAR, DEAD, LIVER, WHIRL
How the four groups fit
Kinds of beans
Kidney, mung, navy, and pinto are all types of beans. This is the most direct classification on the board.
Attract
Draw, grab, hook, and pull can each mean to attract or draw something in. The words are verbs, which helps distinguish them from the food and vehicle-control groups.
Automatic gear shifter positions
Drive, low, neutral, and reverse are positions or settings associated with an automatic transmission’s gear selector.
#1 Best Overall
- Unravel a Cold War conspiracy in Vienna Connection, a standalone spy thriller inspired by Detective: A Modern Crime Board Game.
- Step into the shoes of CIA agents as you investigate the mysterious murder of an American citizen in 1977 Vienna, uncovering secrets across Europe.
- Navigate a world of espionage by managing resources like informants and bribes while decoding secret messages, wiretaps, and classified reports.
- Outsmart enemy spy agencies in a tense, narrative-driven game where every choice shapes the outcome of your mission.
- Immerse yourself in a deep and strategic espionage experience, where deception, deduction, and covert operations are the keys to success.
Words that precede “pool”
Put “pool” after each remaining word: carpool, Deadpool, Liverpool, and whirlpool. The link is the shared ending of familiar names and compounds, not a single definition for the four words.
The original Connections #498 board
The 16 words appeared in this order: WHIRL, DRAW, NAVY, LIVER, CAR, KIDNEY, HOOK, DRIVE, PINTO, PULL, NEUTRAL, DEAD, LOW, MUNG, GRAB, REVERSE.
A quick way to approach a Connections board
Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared link. The New York Times describes the groups as color-coded from yellow, the easiest, to purple, the trickiest; words can appear to fit more than one category. NYT Connections
- Note candidate links. Look for obvious categories, synonyms, shared functions, or words that might complete a common phrase.
- Check the full set of four. A plausible pair or trio is not enough; test whether all four words fit the same connection.
- Revisit overlaps. If one word seems to belong in two groups, use the other words and the remaining board to test which grouping accounts for four items cleanly.
Where to play and find older puzzles
The New York Times says Connections is available on its website, in the Games app, and in the News app, with each daily puzzle releasing at midnight in the player’s timezone. Its Help Center says the archive reaches back to June 12, 2023, and archive access is limited to All Access and Games subscribers; access terms may change. NYT Connections · NYT Help Center: Connections
Quick Recap
Best Value
- VIBRANT COLOR GAME: Challenge friends and family to connect words with colors in the engaging Hues and Cues, featuring 480 colorful hues for limitless fun!
- FUN FOR ALL AGES: Perfect for family game nights, parties, or casual play, this game brings players of all ages together with simple rules and exciting gameplay.
- UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: No two rounds are the same! Hues and Cues provides a new and unique experience with each playthrough, keeping the fun fresh and engaging.
- CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE: Use just one or two word clues to guide others to the right hue, sparking creative thinking and fostering fun team interaction.
- QUICK TO LEARN: Hues and Cues offers fast-paced action with easy rules, making it enjoyable for both casual players, and gaming enthusiasts.
Rank #4
- EXPLORE THE ISLAND OF CATAN: Settle the uninhabited island of Catan by gathering resources, building infrastructure, and nurturing trade relationships.
- STRATEGY AND COMPETITION: Compete with 2-3 opponents to expand your settlements and cities while managing resources and avoiding the robber.
- TRADE, BUILD, AND SETTLE: Use brick, wood, wheat, ore, and sheep to construct roads, settlements, and cities in your race to 10 victory points.
- REPLAYABLE AND ENGAGING: With a modular hexagonal board, no two games are the same, offering endless strategic opportunities and replayability.
- FOR FAMILIES AND STRATEGY ENTHUSIASTS: Designed for 3-4 players, ages 10 and up, CATAN 6th Edition is perfect for family game nights and friendly competition. Add the CATAN 5-6 Player Extension (sold separately) to expand your game to 5-6 players.
Rank #3
- Two teams race to identify their agents from a 5×5 grid, guided by a spymaster who knows each card’s identity
- Spymasters give one-word clues and a number to link multiple cards, encouraging creative thinking
- Teammates guess words matching the clue while avoiding the other team’s agents, bystanders, and the assassin
- Revealing the assassin ends the game instantly, adding high-stakes tension
- Teams may guess up to the clue number plus one, allowing strategic risks or revisiting old clues
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
