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For spoiler-free help, use the category clues first, then reveal the word groups only when you are ready.
Hints for Connections #502
Yellow hint
Think of a dot or a small punctuation mark.
Green hint
Think of gatherings where people dance.
Blue hint
Think of quick reactions in Apple Messages.
Purple hint
Think of the three-letter word “Pan,” including a famous mythological association.
Connections #502 answers
The 16 words in the grid were FORMAL, COOKWARE, QUESTION MARK, RAVE, PERIOD, THUMBS UP, BALL, DOT, BAD REVIEW, HOP, EXCLAMATION POINTS, SATYR, POINT, CAMERA MOVEMENT, HEART, and TITTLE.
#1 Best Overall
| Color | Category | Answers | How the connection works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Circular marks or “.” | DOT, PERIOD, POINT, TITTLE | A tittle is the small dot above a lowercase i or j; DOT, PERIOD and POINT can each describe a dot or point. |
| Green | Events with dancing | BALL, FORMAL, HOP, RAVE | Each word can name a social event or dance. |
| Blue | iPhone Messages Tapback responses | EXCLAMATION POINTS, HEART, QUESTION MARK, THUMBS UP | These represent quick reaction choices in Apple Messages. The grid uses EXCLAMATION POINTS for the exclamation reaction. |
| Purple | “Pan” | BAD REVIEW, CAMERA MOVEMENT, COOKWARE, SATYR | “Pan” can mean a bad review, a camera movement, a type of cookware, or the mythological figure Pan, represented here by SATYR. |
Why this puzzle was tricky
The punctuation decoy
EXCLAMATION POINTS appears to fit with DOT, PERIOD, POINT and TITTLE because all can suggest punctuation or marks. It belongs instead to the blue Tapback group, leaving the four circular-mark terms together.
The dance-event overlap
BALL may initially look unrelated to HOP and FORMAL. Recognizing that all four can describe dances or dance gatherings reveals the green category.
The four senses of “Pan”
The purple group is built on wordplay rather than a shared object. BAD REVIEW, CAMERA MOVEMENT and COOKWARE each match a meaning of “pan,” while SATYR points to Pan from Greek mythology.
How NYT Connections works
Connections gives players a 4-by-4 grid of 16 words. The goal is to arrange them into four groups of four by identifying a link among the words. Groups are color-coded by difficulty, from yellow through purple, with purple generally relying on the most indirect or playful connection.
Playing this puzzle and older ones
You can play the daily puzzle on the New York Times Games website or in the Games app. A Games or All Access subscription provides access to the NYT Connections archive, allowing subscribers to play past puzzles such as #502. Current subscription pricing and promotional terms can vary, so check the New York Times’ current offer before subscribing.
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