This is the Thursday, September 26, 2024 edition of Connections, puzzle #473. Use the spoiler-aware clues below before opening the full answer key. The sixteen-word bank and solutions are reported consistently by TechRadar and Fortnite Insider.
What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?
Try the nudges first, without revealing the categories or sorted words:
- Think of an edge that can add detail or decoration.
- These words can suggest becoming more or increasing.
- Consider ways a bartender might describe a drink.
- Each word can follow “STRING.”
The puzzle’s reported word bank is SWELL, FRILL, BIKINI, WAX, TRIM, CHEESE, NEAT, BORDER, GROW, DRY, BEAN, VIRGIN, THEORY, STRAIGHT, FRINGE, and MOUNT.
What are the Connections 473 answers today?
Spoilers below: the category names and complete groups are revealed here. The answer key is corroborated by both TechRadar and Fortnite Insider.
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| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | DECORATIVE EDGE | BORDER, FRILL, FRINGE, TRIM |
| Green | INCREASE, IN A WAY | GROW, MOUNT, SWELL, WAX |
| Blue | SPECIFICATIONS FOR A BARTENDER | DRY, NEAT, STRAIGHT, VIRGIN |
| Purple | STRING ___ | BEAN, BIKINI, CHEESE, THEORY |
How to read the groups
Yellow: DECORATIVE EDGE
BORDER, FRILL, FRINGE, and TRIM can each describe an edge or finishing detail.
Green: INCREASE, IN A WAY
GROW, MOUNT, SWELL, and WAX can all refer to rising or increasing.
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Blue: SPECIFICATIONS FOR A BARTENDER
DRY, NEAT, STRAIGHT, and VIRGIN are terms used to specify how a drink is prepared or served.
Purple: STRING ___
Complete the phrase with BEAN, BIKINI, CHEESE, or THEORY: string bean, string bikini, string cheese, and string theory.
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How much help should you reveal?
If you are still solving, stop after the hints or read only the category labels in the table before checking the word groups. The reported hints include “Pretty side to something,” “More and more,” “How’d you take that?” and “[like a thick thread] blank.” Fortnite Insider also points toward INCREASE, IN A WAY, notes BORDER and TRIM as a pair, and suggests words that come after “STRING.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.About puzzle #473
Connections asks players to sort sixteen words into four groups of four. TechRadar describes up to four mistakes and a difficulty color order from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest); those are that guide’s descriptions, not a current official rulebook. TechRadar rated this particular puzzle “Moderate,” its own assessment rather than an official NYT difficulty rating. Its guide says the game can be played through NYT Games on desktop or mobile, but that statement does not verify current access.
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The historical puzzle details here are supported by two secondary guides: Marc McLaren’s TechRadar article dated September 25, 2024, and Khadija Saifi’s Fortnite Insider guide dated September 26, 2024. No directly accessible official NYT archive entry for this puzzle was available in those sources, so the solutions are cross-checked secondary reporting rather than a first-party archive confirmation.
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