This is the archived NYT Connections puzzle #479, published Wednesday, October 2, 2024—not a live puzzle for October 2 in another year. Start with the progressive hints below; the complete answer key is farther down, behind a spoiler warning.
Hints for Connections #479
Each hint points toward one group without giving away all four words. The categories are arranged from the gentler connection to the trickiest.
- Yellow: Play the odds; this group is about putting something at stake.
- Green: Cut differently; think of ways to use a kitchen knife.
- Blue: One actor links these films.
- Purple: Look for a distinctive number of arms—including a notable absence.
How NYT Connections works
Connections gives players 16 words to sort into four groups of four that share a theme. The New York Times Help Center describes yellow as the easiest category and purple as the trickiest. Words can appear to fit more than one group, but each puzzle has exactly one solution.
The daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. It is available in the Games app, at nytimes.com/games/connections, on nytimes.com/theathletic, and in the News app. The archive goes back to June 12, 2023, and older puzzles are available to All Access and Games subscribers. See the New York Times Connections Help Center for details.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors#1 Best Overall
Spoilers: Connections #479 answers
Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle. The four category names and their words are below.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Put on the line | BET, CHANCE, GAMBLE, RISK |
| Green | Use a kitchen knife | CUBE, DICE, JULIENNE, SLICE |
| Blue | Robert De Niro films | CASINO, HEAT, JOKER, TAXI DRIVER |
| Purple | Distinctive number of arms (or lack thereof) | OCTOPUS, SHIVA, SLOT MACHINE, VENUS DE MILO |
Why the purple group fits
The purple connection is the most indirect: an octopus has arms, Shiva is commonly depicted with multiple arms, and a slot machine has a lever called an arm. The Venus de Milo is known for having no arms. Together, the four entries point to a distinctive number—or absence—of arms.
Rank #2
Full word bank
JOKER, DICE, CHANCE, CASINO, OCTOPUS, SLOT MACHINE, CUBE, GAMBLE, SLICE, BET, SHIVA, JULIENNE, HEAT, VENUS DE MILO, RISK, TAXI DRIVER.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
