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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallNeed help with the Sunday, July 28, 2024, Connections puzzle (#413)? Start with the four category hints below, arranged from gentlest to most revealing. The complete groups and answers follow after a spoiler warning.
Connections #413: the 16 words
The board for July 28, 2024, contains these words:
- BUTTERFLY
- TUXEDO
- PEACOCK
- NERVE
- BEETHOVEN
- SPINE
- WILLY
- JACKET
- CORNUCOPIA
- KALEIDOSCOPE
- TORTOISESHELL
- JITTER
- CALICO
- COVER
- TABBY
- PAGE
Graduated hints for July 28
Try each clue before moving on to the answers. The first two point toward more familiar categories; the last two are more indirect.
- Yellow: Keen readers will know these.
- Green: Who’s a pretty feline?
- Blue: Worry.
- Purple: Words containing something you eat.
Spoiler warning: Connections answers for game #413
The full groups are below.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Parts of a book | COVER, JACKET, PAGE, SPINE |
| Green | Cat coat patterns | CALICO, TABBY, TORTOISESHELL, TUXEDO |
| Blue | Nervousness, in the singular | BUTTERFLY, JITTER, NERVE, WILLY |
| Purple | Starting with vegetables | BEETHOVEN, CORNUCOPIA, KALEIDOSCOPE, PEACOCK |
Why the trickiest groups work
Blue: nervousness in the singular
“Butterfly,” “jitter,” “nerve,” and “willy” can each appear in a singular expression for nervousness, such as “butterflies in the stomach,” “the jitters,” “get on someone’s nerves,” and “the willies.” The category is about those expressions, not body parts. TechRadar’s Marc McLaren noted that he initially read NERVE literally as an anatomical clue before recognizing the category.
Purple: each word starts with a vegetable
Read the beginning of each word: BEETHOVEN starts with BEET, CORNUCOPIA with CORN, KALEIDOSCOPE with KALE, and PEACOCK with PEA. The words do not all name vegetables; the shared feature is their opening letters.
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How Connections works
The New York Times Help Center describes Connections as a puzzle in which players sort 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared connection. The four categories are color-coded: yellow is the easiest and purple the trickiest. Words can seem to fit more than one group, but each puzzle has one solution.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play this puzzle
According to current New York Times Help Center guidance, the daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone and is available through NYT Games platforms. Daily play is free without registration or sign-in. The archive is a separate feature for All Access and Games subscribers, requires an NYT account for progress, and currently reaches back to June 12, 2023. Access terms can change; these details reflect the Help Center guidance accessed October 3, 2026.
Rank #2
Sources: TechRadar’s July 28, 2024 guide; The New York Times Help Center: Connections; Try Hard Guides’ July 28, 2024 answers.
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