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Need a nudge for Connections puzzle #542 from December 4, 2024? Start with the spoiler-free hints below, then reveal the category names or the full solution only when you’re ready.
Hints for Connections #542
- Think of actions that steer, direct, or guide.
- Look for things with one or more needles. The group includes objects used to navigate, sew, or play records, as well as a tree.
- Look for figures from Greek mythology.
- The final group is about word beginnings: each starts with a slang term or another synonym for a lavatory.
Category names
- Yellow: STEER
- Green: THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S
- Blue: FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH
- Purple: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY
Full answers for Connections #542
Spoiler warning: The complete groups and all sixteen words are below.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | STEER | DIRECT, GUIDE, LEAD, SHEPHERD |
| Green | THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S | COMPASS, PINE TREE, SEWING KIT, TURNTABLE |
| Blue | FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH | ATLAS, ECHO, HELEN, PAN |
| Purple | STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY | CANDLE, JOHNSON, LOOFAH, TOILETRIES |
How the trickiest group works
The purple category is about the starts of the words, not bathroom-related objects: CANDLE begins with “can,” JOHNSON with “john,” LOOFAH with “loo,” and TOILETRIES with “toilet.”
Why the groups can overlap
Connections is designed to make words that seem to fit more than one category feel plausible. A New York Times Help Center sentence quoted by DocumentaryTube describes the game this way: “Each puzzle has exactly one solution and is meant to be tricky by having words that could fit into multiple categories.”
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