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This page covers NYT Connections puzzle #543, published Thursday, December 5, 2024. Start with the spoiler-controlled hints below, or jump to the answer key when you’re ready to see all four groups.
Hints for Connections #543
- One group is about ability, talent, or knack.
- One group refers to an outside or outward-facing part.
- One group consists of technology companies.
- For the wordplay group, add the same word after each entry: STONE.
The 16 words on the December 5 board
APPLE, LIME, YELLOW, FACE, NOSE, FRONT, RHINE, AMAZON, SURFACE, GIFT, ORACLE, BRIM, INSTINCT, INTUIT, OUTSIDE, and FLAIR.
Full answers for Connections #543
Warning: the complete solution is below.
| Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|
| APTITUDE | FLAIR, GIFT, INSTINCT, NOSE | Each can describe an ability or knack. NOSE fits in the sense of having a nose for something. |
| EXTERIOR | FACE, FRONT, OUTSIDE, SURFACE | Each refers to an outer or outward-facing part. |
| TECH COMPANIES | AMAZON, APPLE, INTUIT, ORACLE | The puzzle groups these company names under a broad technology-company label. |
| ____ STONE | BRIM, LIME, RHINE, YELLOW | Put STONE after each word to make brimstone, limestone, rhinestone, and Yellowstone. |
Why the board could mislead
Several words invite familiar associations that do not match their solution groups. APPLE and LIME may suggest fruit, while AMAZON and RHINE may suggest rivers. Instead, APPLE and AMAZON belong with the technology companies; LIME and RHINE complete compounds ending in STONE. These overlaps help explain the board’s ambiguity, but they do not establish the puzzle editor’s intent.
How difficult was puzzle #543?
Yahoo reported a Connections Companion difficulty rating of 3.4 out of 5; the article does not state the rating’s year. Treat it as that companion’s rating, not an objective or independently measured score.
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Answer-source note
Yahoo and Parade independently list the December 5, 2024 edition as puzzle #543 and give the same four categories and word sets. DocumentaryTube also lists the board and explains the STONE compounds. These are secondary answer guides, not an official NYT archive: Yahoo, Parade, and DocumentaryTube.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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