What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Need help with NYT Connections game #533, released Monday, November 25, 2024? Start with the spoiler-light hints below, then open the answer key when you’re ready. This date and game number identify the 2024 puzzle, not another Connections game played on November 25 in a different year.
Hints for Connections #533
Use the clues from least to most revealing. Stop when you have enough to make your next guess.
- Yellow: Get.
- Green: Lots of people.
- Blue: STERN could be another.
- Purple: Confucius would have got this one.
Answers for Monday, November 25, 2024
Spoilers below: the four categories and all 16 words are revealed.
Yellow — ATTAIN
- EARN
- LAND
- SCORE
- WIN
Green — LARGE GROUP
- CROWD
- FLOCK
- HOST
- SEA
Blue — PARTS OF A SHIP
- ANCHOR
- BOW
- BRIDGE
- DECK
Purple — ASSOCIATED PRINCIPLES IN CHINESE PHILOSOPHY
- EXPANSIVE
- LIGHT
- MASCULINE
- YANG
Why the word groups are easy to mix up
DECK is the main decoy: it can suggest a group of cards, but here it belongs with the ship parts. SEA, FLOCK, and HOST point toward large groups, making it easy to overlook that the words can seem to fit more than one idea. TechRadar puzzle guide author Marc McLaren reported initially putting DECK with CROWD, FLOCK, and HOST before recognizing the final Chinese-philosophy association; that is his account of solving this puzzle, not a separate test.
#1 Best Overall
How Connections works
Connections gives players 16 words to sort into four groups of four. The groups are marked yellow, green, blue, and purple, with yellow the easiest and purple the trickiest. The New York Times says words and categories are curated by editors using the Oxford Dictionary and that each puzzle has one solution, while deliberately allowing words to appear to fit multiple categories. See the NYT Connections Help Center for the official rules and access details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play and find older puzzles
The NYT Help Center lists the Games app, nytimes.com/games/connections, nytimes.com/theathletic, and the News app as places to play. It says the daily game is free on those platforms and releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. The full archive, which extends back to June 12, 2023, is limited to All Access and Games subscribers; archive play affects some statistics but not streaks.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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.
