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Hints for Sunday, September 28
- Yellow: Defense.
- Blue: Breath enhancers.
- Green: Tech infections.
- Purple: Think of American football imagery.
The 16 words on the board
BACKDOOR, ORBIT, VIRUS, SHIELD, TROJAN HORSE, TRIDENT, HORSESHOE, ICE BREAKERS, WORM, AEGIS, FLEUR-DE-LIS, EXTRA, GUARD, PROTECTION, LIGHTNING BOLT, BUFFALO.
Connections answers and categories
| Color | Category | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Backing | AEGIS, GUARD, PROTECTION, SHIELD |
| Blue | Gum brands | EXTRA, ICE BREAKERS, ORBIT, TRIDENT |
| Green | Malicious software | BACKDOOR, TROJAN HORSE, VIRUS, WORM |
| Purple | NFL team logos | BUFFALO, FLEUR-DE-LIS, HORSESHOE, LIGHTNING BOLT |
Why the purple group refers to NFL logos
Each purple entry clues a visual associated with an NFL team logo: BUFFALO represents the Buffalo Bills, FLEUR-DE-LIS represents the New Orleans Saints, HORSESHOE represents the Indianapolis Colts, and LIGHTNING BOLT represents the Los Angeles Chargers.
How to approach this Connections board
Connections presents 16 words and asks you to divide them into four groups of four. The groups typically progress from yellow, the most approachable, through blue and green to purple, the most difficult, and you have a limited number of guesses.
#1 Best Overall
Start with the clearest semantic set
AEGIS, GUARD, PROTECTION and SHIELD all describe backing or defense, making the yellow group a strong early lock.
Watch for branded products
EXTRA, ICE BREAKERS, ORBIT and TRIDENT are all chewing-gum brands, despite appearing alongside words that can fit other themes.
Separate cybersecurity terms
BACKDOOR, TROJAN HORSE, VIRUS and WORM are forms or examples of malicious software. “Trojan horse” is the phrase most likely to distract because it can also suggest mythology or sports imagery.
Leave the visual-reference group for last
BUFFALO, FLEUR-DE-LIS, HORSESHOE and LIGHTNING BOLT are not a literal word category. They point to the identifying marks used by the Bills, Saints, Colts and Chargers, respectively.
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Connections is a free NYT Games word puzzle in which players find four related groups among 16 entries. A NYT Games subscription also provides access to the service’s archive of past puzzles.
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