Need help with the NYT Connections puzzle for Saturday, November 16, 2024? This is game #524. Start with a gentle nudge, then open progressively clearer clues; the full four-group solution is at the end.
How Connections works
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Select four words and submit them; Try Hard Guides’ instructions say players can make up to four mistakes. The intended links can be literal, or depend on wordplay and familiar phrases.
Gentle hints for puzzle #524
These clues point toward the kinds of connections without naming the categories or giving away the words.
- Look for objects that can stop a leak.
- Look for four types of headwear.
- Several words are nicknames for college football teams or their members.
- Put “GO” before each word in the last group to make a familiar phrase.
More explicit category clues
Still want a nudge before the answers? The four categories are, in order: things that prevent leaks; kinds of hats; college football team members; and words that follow “GO.”
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Full Connections #524 answers
Spoilers below. The answer groups reported by TechRadar, Try Hard Guides and Parade match.
- Yellow — Things that prevent leaks: CAP, COVER, PLUG, SEAL.
- Green — Kinds of hats: BERET, DERBY, PILLBOX, SNAPBACK.
- Blue — College football team members: GATOR, SOONER, VOLUNTEER, WOLVERINE.
- Purple — GO ___: BANANAS, COMMANDO, FIGURE, ROGUE.
Why the groupings can be tricky
The hat and college-football groups rely on recognizing category knowledge, while the final group asks you to complete common phrases: go bananas, go commando, go figure and go rogue. The words can suggest several plausible connections, so spotting a tempting overlap does not necessarily identify the intended set. An academic paper by Graham Todd, Tim Merino, Sam Earle and Julian Togelius describes Connections as drawing on ordinary word knowledge as well as lateral or abstract thinking.
Rank #2
TechRadar writer Marc McLaren described his own solve as requiring guesswork and reported making one mistake. That is his personal account, not an objective difficulty rating or a measure of how other players will fare.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.About this historical answer guide
This guide covers the dated puzzle numbered #524, published Saturday, November 16, 2024; it is not a guide to a current daily board. The answer mapping is independently reported by TechRadar, Try Hard Guides and Parade. The exact mapping is not presented here as verified against an official NYT archive.
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