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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →This is the archived New York Times Connections puzzle from Thursday, December 5, 2024—not a current daily board. Puzzle #543’s groups were APTITUDE, EXTERIOR, TECH COMPANIES, and words that come before “STONE.”
Connections #543 answers for December 5, 2024
The sixteen words were APPLE, LIME, YELLOW, FACE, NOSE, FRONT, RHINE, AMAZON, SURFACE, GIFT, ORACLE, BRIM, INSTINCT, INTUIT, OUTSIDE, and FLAIR. The complete solution is:
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| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| APTITUDE | FLAIR, GIFT, INSTINCT, NOSE |
| EXTERIOR | FACE, FRONT, OUTSIDE, SURFACE |
| TECH COMPANIES | AMAZON, APPLE, INTUIT, ORACLE |
| ____ STONE | BRIM, LIME, RHINE, YELLOW |
How the four groups fit
APTITUDE
FLAIR, GIFT, INSTINCT, and NOSE can each describe a natural ability or knack. “A nose for” something, for example, means having an instinctive sense for it.
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FACE, FRONT, OUTSIDE, and SURFACE can each refer to an outer or outward-facing part of something.
#1 Best Overall
TECH COMPANIES
AMAZON, APPLE, INTUIT, and ORACLE are technology companies. Here, AMAZON and APPLE belong with the company names, not with a river or fruit category.
Words before STONE
Place STONE after each word to make BRIMSTONE, LIMESTONE, RHINESTONE, and YELLOWSTONE. That shared follow-on word identifies the fourth set.
Rank #2
Why the board can mislead
APPLE and LIME make a tempting fruit pair, while AMAZON and RHINE may suggest rivers. Those associations do not account for the full groups in this solution: APPLE joins AMAZON, INTUIT, and ORACLE as tech companies, while LIME and RHINE each fit the ____ STONE pattern. Checking whether all four words satisfy a category helps distinguish a complete connection from a plausible pair.
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