Today’s NYT Connections Hints and Answers for September 16, #463

Looking for the most recent Connections answer? Click here for today’s Connections tipsas well as our daily answers and tips for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Need the answers for the New York Times Connections Puzzle? To me, Wordle is more of a vocabulary test, but Connections is more of a brain teaser. You’re given 16 words and have to sort them into four groups that are connected in some way. Sometimes they’re obvious, but game editor Wyna Liu manages to trick you by using words that fit into more than one group. Read on for today’s Connections hints and answers.

There’s also news in the Connections world. The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one it has had for Wordle for a while. Go there after you play to get a numerical score and have the program analyze your answers. And players registered with the Times Games section can now get nerdy by following their progressincluding the number of puzzles completed, their win percentage, the number of times they achieved a perfect score, and their win streak.

Read more: NYT Connections could be the new Wordle: our hints and tips

How to play Connections

Playing is easy. Winning is hard. Look at the 16 words and mentally assign them to related groups of four. Click on the four words that you think belong together. The groups are color-coded, but you won’t know what goes where until you see the answers. The yellow group is easiest, then green, then blue, and purple is hardest. Look closely at the words and think of related terms. Sometimes the connection is just part of the word. Once, four words were grouped together because they all started with the name of a rock band, including “Rushmore” and “Journeyman.”

Read more: Connections Bot gives you a numerical score every day

Tips for Today’s Connections Groups

Below are four clues for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, arranged from the easiest yellow group to the trickiest (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: First.

Green group hint: Ouch!

Blue group hint: It might make you shudder.

Purple group hint: Have a top.

Answers for Today’s Connections Groups

Yellow group: First of all.

Green group: Spiky things.

Blue group: Too sentimental work.

Purple group: Things that are covered.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: These Are The Most Popular Letters Used In English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is paramount. The four answers are chief, premier, principal and supreme.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is prickly things. The four answers are cactus, hedgehog, mace and pineapple.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is overly sentimental work. The four answers are cheese, corn, porridge and pap.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is things that are shelled. The four answers are bottle, graduated, mushroom and salary.