Need a nudge for NYT Connections #402? The archived puzzle is from Wednesday, July 17, 2024. Start with the spoiler-safe hints below; the full four groups and all 16 answers follow under a warning.
Hints for Connections #402
Try the broad clues first, then use the category labels if you need another step. The clues become more revealing as you go.
Broad clues
- Yellow: Think of places you might visit while running errands.
- Green: These words can describe ways to get in the way of something.
- Blue: Look for terms associated with groups of animals.
- Purple: Each entry is the beginning of a U.S. president’s surname.
Category nudges
- Yellow: Buildings around town.
- Green: Hinder.
- Blue: Animal group names.
- Purple: Starts of U.S. presidents.
Answers for July 17, 2024
Spoilers below: the categories and complete answer key are revealed next.
| Color | Category | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Buildings around town | BANK, LAUNDROMAT, POST OFFICE, SUPERMARKET |
| Green | Hinder | CHECK, CURB, HAMPER, INHIBIT |
| Blue | Animal group names | PACK, PRIDE, SCHOOL, SWARM |
| Purple | Starts of U.S. presidents’ surnames | BIDE, CART, NIX, WASHING |
Why the purple group fits—and the main trap
The purple words are beginnings, not complete surnames: BIDE points to Biden, CART to Carter, NIX to Nixon, and WASHING to Washington. NIX can also read as a verb meaning to reject or stop, making it tempting to place with HINDER. In this puzzle, it belongs with the presidential-name starts; CHECK, CURB, HAMPER, and INHIBIT make up the hinder group.
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A practical way to approach the board
Connections gives you 16 words to sort into four groups of four, each linked by a shared theme. The game draws on semantic clustering and can require both vocabulary knowledge and abstract reasoning, as discussed in a 2024 paper on the game’s puzzle format: Making New Connections.
- Scan for a group with a clear everyday connection. Here, the town buildings are a natural starting point.
- Look for familiar collective nouns among the remaining words: PACK, PRIDE, SCHOOL, and SWARM each name an animal group.
- Test CHECK, CURB, HAMPER, and INHIBIT as verbs meaning to hinder or restrain.
- Use the remaining word starts to spot the presidential surnames, while checking whether an apparent synonym such as NIX is pulling you toward the wrong group.
Which July 17 puzzle is this?
This answer key is for game #402, published for Wednesday, July 17, 2024—not the puzzle numbered #1132 on July 17, 2026. TechRadar’s guide carries a July 16, 2024 publication date while identifying the puzzle as the July 17 game; that reflects a publication-time-zone difference, not a different board. The #402 grouping is also reported by TechRadar, Try Hard Guides, and Parade.
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