Spoiler: The April 3, 2024, New York Times Connections puzzle is #297. Its four groups are BENCHMARK, POKER ACTIONS, SKIN TYPES, and STARTS OF U.S. STATES.
Connections #297 answers for April 3, 2024
| Category | Words | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| BENCHMARK | BENCHMARK, GAUGE, STANDARD, YARDSTICK | Terms for a reference point or measure used to judge or compare something. |
| POKER ACTIONS | BET, CALL, CHECK, FOLD | Actions a player can take in poker. |
| SKIN TYPES | COMBINATION, DRY, NORMAL, OILY | Common labels for skin types, including wording used on skincare products. |
| STARTS OF U.S. STATES | KENT, MARY, MASS, WASH | Beginnings of Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, and Washington. |
Why the words fit
BENCHMARK
A benchmark or standard is a point of comparison; a gauge and a yardstick are measures used to assess something. The four words converge on the idea of a reference or measure.
POKER ACTIONS
Bet, call, check, and fold are familiar choices available to a player during a poker hand.
SKIN TYPES
Combination, dry, normal, and oily are common ways to describe skin types.
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STARTS OF U.S. STATES
KENT starts Kentucky, MARY starts Maryland, MASS starts Massachusetts, and WASH starts Washington. The words are shortened beginnings rather than complete state names.
How Connections works
Connections presents 16 words and asks you to sort them into four groups of four. Each group shares a connection, and the game assigns colors by difficulty: yellow is easiest and purple is trickiest. The New York Times Help Center notes that words can seem to fit more than one category, even though each puzzle has exactly one solution.
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If you want to work through a puzzle before checking answers, scan the full set for pairs or trios that seem related, then look for the words that complete a group. That is a useful approach, not a guaranteed method; competing associations are part of the challenge.
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