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Spoiler warning: This guide covers NYT Connections puzzle #138, from Friday, October 27, 2023. Read the four hints first if you want a nudge; the category names and answers appear below the spoiler break.
NYT Connections hints for October 27, 2023
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. The themes can be tempting to guess too quickly, so consider each hint before looking at the answer key.
- Having confidence.
- Certain types of material.
- Basketball related.
- The items in this group share a common characteristic.
Connections #138 answers for October 27, 2023
Spoilers below: The categories and all 16 answers are revealed here.
| Order | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Shameless Boldness | BRASS, CHEEK, GALL, NERVE |
| Green | Metal Elements | COPPER, GOLD, NICKEL, SILVER |
| Blue | W.N.B.A. Teams | MERCURY, SKY, SPARKS, LIBERTY |
| Purple | Things with Trunks | CARS, ELEPHANTS, SWIMMERS, TREES |
Parade’s answer guide lists the complete categories and groups for this puzzle: Connections hints and answers for Friday, October 27. A second guide identifies the game as #138 and corroborates the date and category starters: NYT Connections #138 hints and answers.
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Why the Connections #138 words go together
Yellow: Shameless Boldness
Brass, cheek, gall, and nerve can all describe audacity or impudence: the confidence to act or speak without embarrassment.
Green: Metal Elements
Copper, gold, nickel, and silver are metallic chemical elements.
Blue: W.N.B.A. Teams
Mercury, Sky, Sparks, and Liberty are team names in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
Purple: Things with Trunks
This group depends on more than one meaning of “trunk.” Cars have trunks, elephants have trunks, and trees have trunks; swimmers wear trunks as swimwear. The words connect through the shared term, not through one identical object.
How to approach a tricky Connections board
The October 27 board illustrates why a first apparent pattern is not always enough: a word may fit more than one idea, while a group can hinge on a less obvious meaning. If you are solving before checking the key, look for four words that fit a precise shared definition, then test whether another word also belongs before locking in the set. Connections’ four-groups-of-four format and its misleading associations are part of the challenge, as discussed in this analysis of the game: NYT-Connections: A Deceptively Simple Text Classification Task that Stumps System-1 Thinkers.
Quick Recap
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