NYT Connections Strategy: How to Spot the Red Herrings

Mastering Connections

NYT Connections is famous for its 'red herrings'—words that seem to fit into more than one category to trick you into making mistakes. To solve the board consistently, you need a structured strategy.

1. Scan the Entire Board First

Do not submit the first group of four you see. Often, one of those words is actually a vital part of a different, more difficult category. Take a minute to find multiple potential categories before submitting.

2. Group the Leftovers

If you see a group of five words that all fit a category, do not guess combinations. Instead, look for a different category where one of those five words must go. This process of elimination is key.

3. Watch Out for Wordplay

If some words look completely unrelated but share a weird prefix, suffix, or anagram potential, it's highly likely a purple category. Look for homophones or parts of compound words.