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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →New York Times Connections puzzle #445, published Thursday, August 29, 2024, groups its 16 words around pianos, judgment, universities and company names. Start with the spoiler-safe clues below; the complete word mapping appears farther down.
Spoiler-safe hints for Connections #445
These clues identify the themes without revealing the four-word sets. Try each category before opening the answer section.
- Yellow: Strings and keys unite.
- Green: Choose your fate—or form an opinion about something.
- Blue: Famous campus rivalries.
- Purple: Corporate partners unite.
Those short clues come from WordHint’s August 29 guide. Parade’s alternate clues point to a particular musical instrument, judging or forming an opinion, higher education, and the second half of well-known businesses: Parade’s puzzle guide.
How to approach the grid without giving away the solution
1. Lock in the most concrete cluster
Look for words that clearly describe the same object or institution. A set tied to one kind of musical instrument is likely to be the easiest entry point, while a set based on word meaning may require testing synonyms.
#1 Best Overall
2. Test double meanings
Words such as “count,” “judge” and “regard” can function as verbs with similar meanings. Connections often uses that overlap to make a plausible-looking group compete with another one.
3. Keep the abstract groups until the end
After identifying a category, remove its four words mentally and recheck the remaining grid. WordHint recommends watching for overflow or trap words, considering wordplay, and checking the final group again after three categories are solved.
Rank #2
4. Remember the attempt limit
Try Hard Guides describes the puzzle as four groups of four words, with difficulty generally increasing from the first group to the trickiest. Its guide says players can make up to four mistakes before failing; that description is an account of the guide’s stated mechanics, not an official New York Times rules citation: Try Hard Guides.
Full answers for August 29, 2024 (#445)
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Kinds of pianos | ELECTRONIC, GRAND, PLAYER, UPRIGHT |
| Green | Deem | CONSIDER, COUNT, JUDGE, REGARD |
| Blue | U.S. colleges/universities | BROWN, DUKE, HOWARD, SMITH |
| Purple | Second names in companies with ampersands | GAMBLE, JOHNSON, NOBLE, YOUNG |
The word bank was BROWN, CONSIDER, COUNT, DUKE, ELECTRONIC, GAMBLE, GRAND, HOWARD, JOHNSON, JUDGE, NOBLE, PLAYER, REGARD, SMITH, UPRIGHT and YOUNG. The category assignments and grid are corroborated by WordHint, Try Hard Guides and Parade.
Why each group works
Kinds of pianos
Electronic, grand, player and upright all name piano types or forms. “Player” refers to a player piano, not a person who plays.
Deem
Consider, count, judge and regard can each mean to view, assess or treat something in a particular way.
U.S. colleges and universities
Brown, Duke, Howard and Smith are names of American higher-education institutions. Their presence as familiar school names makes this group look tempting before the piano words are removed.
Second names in companies with ampersands
Gamble, Johnson, Noble and Young are the second names in Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Noble & Cooley and Simon & Garfunkel? No: in this puzzle, the intended company-style pairings are the second names in well-known businesses such as Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Noble & Cooley and Young & Rubicam. The shared idea is the word appearing after an ampersand, rather than a school or a piano term.
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