If you mean the New York Times Connections puzzle labeled #280 for March 17, 2024, its four themes are foolishness, moving forward, things that might stink, and words that follow “deep.” Read the hints first, then open the spoiler section for the groups and their reasoning. The date-number pairing comes from secondary puzzle guides and a contemporaneous community post; archive listings have also shown conflicting labels, so #280 is not presented here as an official archive confirmation.
Hints for Connections #280
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. The game marks the groups by color, from yellow—the easiest category—to purple, typically the trickiest. These hints point to the March 17, 2024 puzzle without giving away the full sets:
- One group relates to foolishness.
- One contains verbs meaning to move ahead.
- One includes things associated with an unpleasant smell.
- One group consists of words that follow “deep.”
Spoilers: Connections #280 answers
The answer groups below are attributed to the secondary guides that identify this as puzzle #280 for March 17, 2024.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Foolishness | ABSURDITY, FOLLY, MADNESS, NONSENSE |
| Green | Move forward | ADVANCE, MARCH, PROGRESS, PUSH |
| Blue | Things that might stink | CHEESE, FEET, GARBAGE, SKUNK |
| Purple | Words after “deep” | CUT, FAKE, FREEZE, SIX |
Why the groups fit
Yellow: Foolishness
ABSURDITY, FOLLY, MADNESS, and NONSENSE all describe irrational or foolish behavior, ideas, or circumstances.
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Green: Move forward
ADVANCE, MARCH, PROGRESS, and PUSH can each mean to move ahead. Here, MARCH is a verb, not the name of a month.
Blue: Things that might stink
CHEESE, FEET, GARBAGE, and SKUNK can all be associated with a strong or unpleasant smell.
Rank #2
Purple: Words after “deep”
The phrases are deep cut, deepfake, deep freeze, and deep-six. “Deepfake” is commonly written as one word; the category is asking for familiar expressions formed by placing each answer after “deep.”
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the date and number need a year
This answer key is for the puzzle identified by secondary guides as Connections #280 on March 17, 2024. March 17 coverage from another year can refer to a different puzzle: one search result labels the March 17, 2025 puzzle #645. The cited guides also describe some archive disagreement over puzzle numbering, and no official New York Times archive confirmation for the #280 date pairing was established here. Sources: Fortnite Insider’s #280 guide, MobilesTalk’s archive discussion, Guidantech’s March 17 guide, and the March 17, 2024 community thread.
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