Connections was released in 2023 by The New York Times following the massive success it achieved with Wordle, another word-based game it purchased from software engineer Josh Wardle in 2022.
Wyna Liu, Connections developer and NYT puzzle editor, previously spoke out about the brainteaser’s popularity in an interview with Newsweek.
“The response has been really incredible and overwhelming, and unexpected,” Liu said about Connections in June. “It’s exciting that something I care very deeply about is resonating with people.”
Keep scrolling for Newsweek‘s handy hints to #648. The answers to today’s game will also be revealed at the end of this article, so if you would like to work them out yourself, we suggest you scroll carefully.
How To Play ‘Connections’
Connections challenges players with grouping 16 words into four categories based on association.
Each of the four categories is labeled with a color, which also signifies their difficulty level. Yellow is the easiest category, followed by green, then blue and then purple. That being said, the games are rarely straightforward and often use wordplay, homophones and other techniques to make users think twice.
For example, Wednesday’s puzzle linked the words “back,” “extensions,” “forward” and “refresh” under the category, “Web browser buttons.” This was a green category.
Meanwhile, the blue category was “Parts of a road” and included the terms, “divider,” “lane,” “median” and “shoulder.”
Liu advised Newsweek readers not to “rage solve” and said her “best advice” is to “wait as long as you can before guessing.”
“You may see the board and have completely identified the category, seeing five words that could belong in that category,” Liu said.
Don’t worry, though; there is no time limit to the game, so take as long as you need before submitting your choices.
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‘Connections’ #648 Hints and Clues for Thursday, March 20
Below are Newsweek‘s hints to help you with Thursday’s game:
Yellow: Candid opinions
Green: Relating to water
Blue: Cord types
Purple: What you may find in a bottle
‘Connections’ #648 Answers for Thursday, March 20
Yellow Category: OUTSPOKEN
Yellow Words: Direct, Frank, Loud, Vocal
Green Category: BODIES OF WATER
Green Words: Bay, Channel, Sound, Strait
Blue Category: KINDS OF CORDS
Blue Words: Bungee, Extension, Spinal, Umbilical
Purple Category: THINGS IN BOTTLES
Purple Words: Genie, Lightning, Message, Ship
You are a word-game pro if you correctly solved today’s Connections! Try not to be too hard on yourself, though, if you didn’t get it this time around. You will get another chance on Friday when a new game will be available for you to play.
Connections is released at midnight in your local time zone, so be sure to check back with Newsweek daily for more hints, clues and answers.
Until the next Connections drops, these other popular games—like Lexigo and Words With Friends—will keep you entertained.