NYT ‘Connections’ September 1: Answers and Clues for Game #448

Connections was launched by The New York Times in 2023 following the astonishing success of Wordle, a game initially invented during the COVID-19 lockdown that the newspaper purchased in January 2022 for an undisclosed low seven figure sum.
Connections, like Wordle before it, over time developed a fanbase across the English-speaking world with some players taking to social media each day to discuss tactics and share their results.
The rules of Connections are simple. Each day the player is presented with 16 words, which they have to divide into four distinct categories based around common characteristics.
Each of the four categories have a separate color denoting their level of difficulty. Yellow is supposed to be the easiest followed by green, blue and then purple. The players select four words they believe are connected and if they are correct, they light up, showing the difficulty color, and are removed from the board.
However, if a player guesses incorrect groups of words four times the game ends and they are defeated. There is no time limit for the game.
At any point the player can shuffle the board resulting in the 16 words being randomly repositioned.
According to Connections editor Wyna Liu, if you have five cards that all seem to belong in the same category your best move may well be to try and figure out a different category, then come back to the original one once some of the words are eliminated.
“Doing so might take one of those extra cards out of contention, or at least remove a few cards from the board, making other categories easier to see,” she said.
The answers for Sunday’s Connections puzzle will be revealed at the end of this article, so please scroll down with caution if you want to work them out yourself.
Newsweek has some hints to help you figure out today’s Connections categories.
Yellow: Preparing food.
Green: Linked to hearing.
Blue: All of one color.
Purple: Location of someone or something.
Yellow Category: COOK IN A PAN
Yellow Words: BROWN, CHAR, GRILL, SEAR
Green Category: PARTS OF THE EAR
Green Words: ANVIL, CANAL, DRUM, HAMMER
Blue Category: SHADES OF BLACK
Blue Words: CHARCOLE, JET, RAVEN, SABLE
Purple Category: WHERE YOU MIGHT FIND “A DRIVER”
Purple Words: GOLF BAG, LIMOUSINE, MOVIE SET, TOOLBOX
Did you figure it out? If so we’re very impressed, but please don’t be put off if not. One of the best things about Connections is seeing if you can improve your result over time. The next Connections puzzle will be released on Monday and Newsweek will of course also return with another round of hints and tips.