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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →NYT Connections puzzle #346, published Wednesday, May 22, 2024, groups its 16 words around a children’s song, informal names for a car, removing an outer covering, and different kinds of “buzz.” If you want to solve it yourself first, use the progressive hints below; the full answer key follows.
Progressive hints for Connections #346
Stop at the hint that gives you enough to keep solving. Each one points more directly toward a category without listing its four answers.
- Yellow: Think of a familiar children’s song that names body parts.
- Green: These are informal ways to refer to a car.
- Blue: Each word can describe removing an outer covering.
- Purple: Consider several meanings of “buzz,” from literal sound to figurative excitement.
Answers and category explanations
The archive answer key and the May 22 solution page agree on the four categories and their words. WordsRated’s Connections archive and the May 22 solution page republished by Oxak list the following solution.
Yellow — Body parts in “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”
HEAD, KNEES, SHOULDERS, TOES. The four words appear in the children’s song title. The category relies on recognizing that familiar sequence rather than finding a new synonym for “body part.”
#1 Best Overall
Green — Car, informally
AUTO, RIDE, WHEELS, WHIP. Each can refer informally to a car. WHIP is the less obvious entry: it is slang for a car, not a literal part of one. A May 22 player discussion includes the question of whether that usage is regional, but the comments are individual reactions rather than evidence about how widely the term is used. Read the May 22 discussion.
Blue — Removes the covering of
PARES, PEELS, SHELLS, SHUCKS. Each can mean taking away an outer layer or covering. PARES means trims or removes an outer layer; it is a verb, like the other answers, not a reference to pears. This is the group’s shared action, not a set of things that can be peeled.
Purple — “Buzzy” things
BEES, CAFFEINE, GOSSIP, INTERCOMS. These connect to different senses of “buzzy”: bees and intercoms can make a buzzing sound, while caffeine can produce a buzz and gossip can generate excitement or talk. BEES may also tempt a connection to the phrase “bee’s knees,” but that is not the category that unites this set.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to avoid the tempting overlaps
Connections presents 16 terms to sort into four groups of four; its categories can use wordplay and misleading overlaps. The game overview describes the format and the yellow, green, blue, and purple difficulty colors. On this board, a word may suggest a plausible side association, but a valid guess needs all four words to fit one shared theme. Before submitting a set, check whether its fourth word belongs for the same reason as the other three—not just because it can be linked by a phrase or pun.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- For the song group, look for the four body-part words in the familiar sequence.
- For the car group, read each word as informal car vocabulary rather than as a literal vehicle component.
- For the covering group, make sure each answer names an action that removes a covering.
- For the “buzzy” group, allow the clue to span sounds and figurative effects instead of insisting on a single literal definition.
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