This is the solution to Connections puzzle #277, released Thursday, March 14, 2024—not today’s puzzle. The 16 words form groups about box-office victories, volleyball moves, Greek-letter homophones and familiar phrases ending in “-O.” Spoilers follow.
March 14 Connections hints
If you want to solve the grid before seeing the answers, use these category clues:
- Yellow: Words for a successful movie or a win.
- Green: Actions used in a volleyball rally.
- Blue: Words that sound like Greek letters.
- Purple: Complete each word with “-O.”
Connections #277 answers
The puzzle’s 16 words were PIE, DAY, NEW, WINNER, SPIKE, ROW, HIT, JELL, SUCCESS, BUMP, JACKIE, SET, DADDY, MOO, SERVE and SMASH. The categories and groupings below are listed from the easiest color to the trickiest.
Yellow: Box-office victory
HIT, SMASH, SUCCESS, WINNER
Green: Volleyball moves
BUMP, SERVE, SET, SPIKE
Blue: Homophones of Greek letters
MOO, NEW, PIE, ROW
These are pronunciations of mu, nu, pi and rho, respectively. The link is sound rather than spelling.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →#1 Best Overall
Purple: ____-O
DADDY, DAY, JACKIE, JELL
Each completes a familiar name or phrase: daddy-o, day-o, Jackie-O and jell-o.
How Connections works
Connections presents 16 words and asks players to sort them into four groups of four based on a shared theme. The groups are color-coded by difficulty, with yellow typically easiest and purple trickiest. Some words can seem to fit more than one category, so finding a plausible connection does not always mean you have the intended group. The New York Times explains the rules in its Connections Help Center.
Rank #2
Submit a group of four words as a guess. An incorrect guess costs a life; four mistakes end the game, according to Forbes’ guide to this puzzle. You can play through the Games app, at nytimes.com/games/connections, nytimes.com/theathletic or the News app. The daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone, according to the Times Help Center.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you replay puzzle #277?
The Times Help Center says the Connections archive reaches back to June 12, 2023 and is available to eligible subscribers. March 14, 2024 falls within that stated date range, though the Help Center does not specifically confirm that this individual puzzle is available in the archive.
PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchQuick 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.
