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Need a nudge for NYT Connections #978? Start with the cigarette brands CAMEL, KENT, PARLIAMENT and SALEM. The hints below progress from category clues to the full answers, so stop before the spoilers if you want to keep solving.
Progressive hints for Connections #978
Try the clues in order. Each gives a category and one starter word without revealing its full group.
- Yellow: Words meaning absolute or downright. Starter: PURE.
- Green: A pennant or flag. Starter: COLORS.
- Blue: Cigarette brands. Starter: SALEM.
- Purple: Words that sound like ways to get smaller. Starter: WAYNE.
All 16 words
WAYNE, PARLIAMENT, STANDARD, LESSON, KENT, SYNC, SHEER, COLORS, STARK, CAMEL, BANNER, UTTER, RESEED, PURE, FLAG, SALEM.
Full answers and category explanations
Spoilers below.
Yellow — DOWNRIGHT
PURE, SHEER, STARK, UTTER can each mean absolute or downright.
Green — PENNANT
BANNER, COLORS, FLAG, STANDARD are terms for a flag or pennant.
Blue — CIGARETTE BRANDS
CAMEL, KENT, PARLIAMENT, SALEM are cigarette brand names.
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Purple — HOMOPHONES OF WAYS TO GET SMALLER
LESSON sounds like “lessen,” RESEED like “recede,” SYNC like “sink,” and WAYNE like “wane.” Each sound-alike suggests becoming smaller or reducing something.
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Start with the narrowest category
CAMEL, KENT, PARLIAMENT and SALEM form the most specific set: cigarette brands. A group tied to one clear domain is usually easier to verify than a broad synonym set.
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Check direct meanings and grammatical fit
BANNER, COLORS, FLAG and STANDARD all refer to flags or pennants. PURE, SHEER, STARK and UTTER then fit as intensifiers meaning absolute or downright. Testing whether words share a meaning and a compatible grammatical role can help distinguish a real set from a loose association.
Say the leftovers aloud
The final set depends on sound rather than spelling. Read LESSON, RESEED, SYNC and WAYNE aloud, then test the similar-sounding verbs lessen, recede, sink and wane. Purple connections often become clearer when you listen for wordplay.
Watch for tempting associations
WAYNE, KENT, STARK and BANNER may suggest superhero or fictional-character connections, but that is a red herring here. Forbes describes that tempting grouping as incorrect; check whether a proposed set has a precise shared relationship before submitting it.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchHow Connections works and how difficult #978 was rated
Connections presents a 16-word grid and asks players to sort it into four groups of four. Forbes says players can make three incorrect guesses; a fourth wrong guess ends the game. PC Guide reports that the New York Times rated puzzle #978 at 2.4 out of 5 for difficulty in 2026. The sound-based purple set is the least immediately apparent connection, even though the other groups offer more direct routes into the puzzle.
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Where to play and access the archive
Forbes says Connections is playable on the New York Times website or in the Games app, and that an All Access or Games subscription includes the archive. No specific physical product is needed to play this dated puzzle.
Quick Recap
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