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Here are spoiler-light hints and the answers for New York Times Connections puzzle #285, from March 22, 2024. The categories are jumping animals, applying pressure, Olympic sports, and things you can set; stop before the answers section if you want to solve the grid yourself.
How Connections Works
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to sort them into four groups of four that share a theme. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple.
Spoiler-Light Hints for March 22, 2024
Try these clues before viewing the full solutions, listed from yellow to purple:
- Leaping through levels!
- Increase your grip!
- Chasing gold medals.
- Customize your experience.
Connections #285 Answers
Spoilers ahead: The four groups and their words are below.
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| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Jumping animals | CRICKET, FROG, HARE, KANGAROO |
| Green | Apply pressure to | CRUSH, MASH, PRESS, SQUASH |
| Blue | Olympic sports | BREAKING, HOCKEY, SKELETON, TRAMPOLINE |
| Purple | Things you can set | MOOD, RECORD, TABLE, VOLLEYBALL |
Why the Groups Fit
Yellow: Jumping animals
CRICKET, FROG, HARE, and KANGAROO are animals that jump. CRICKET is the animal here, not the sport.
Green: Apply pressure to
CRUSH, MASH, PRESS, and SQUASH can all mean to apply pressure to something.
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Blue: Olympic sports
BREAKING, HOCKEY, SKELETON, and TRAMPOLINE are Olympic sports. BREAKING was included in the 2024 Games.
Purple: Things you can set
You can set a MOOD, a RECORD, a TABLE, or a VOLLEYBALL.
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FAQ
What are the Connections answers for #285?
The groups are jumping animals; apply pressure to; Olympic sports; and things you can set. The complete word sets appear in the answer table above.
Why is CRICKET in the jumping animals group?
CRICKET refers to the insect in this group, not the sport.
What does the purple category mean?
The purple group is things you can set: MOOD, RECORD, TABLE, and VOLLEYBALL.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- DEVELOPS DEXTERITY, OBSERVATION AND LOGIC: Players use their logic to align the books following the challenge instructions.
- PROGRESSIVE CHALLENGES: Play trough all 40 challenges and solve 4 level of difficulty.
- WOODEN PIECES: Made of chunky wood pieces that are easy to manipulate and develop dexterity at any age! Includes a cute leveler to keep every piece in balance.
- PLAY SOLO OR WITH A FRIEND: Share the challenge with a friend or play as a solo brainteaser
- ANOTHER LOGIC PUZZLE GAME BY FOXMIND: Develop your logic skills even more with our Brainbuilder series that offer more logic puzzles to solve. Starting ages 8 and up!
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