Clues and answers for Thursday, Aug. 21

Stuck on today’s New York Times Connections puzzle (#802)? Don’t worry, you are definitely not alone! These puzzles can be surprisingly challenging, but I have got some handy hints and insights to help you breeze through Tuesday’s game. And yes, if you want the spoilers, I have got those ready for you too. No shame in getting a little assist!

If you’re new to NYT Connections, here’s a quick rundown of how it works, along with some tips that might save you from frustration. Plus, I will toss in today’s Wordle hints if you’re interested.

What exactly is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is not your typical word game. It is a brain teaser where you are presented with a 4×4 grid containing 16 words. Your task? To find four groups of four words that share a common connection. These groups are color-coded: yellow, green, blue, and purple. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, while purple tends to be the toughest.

Tips to Conquer NYT Connections

Though I’m fairly new to this game, here are some strategies that have worked for me:

1. Pay Attention to Feedback: When you get something wrong, watch the message at the top. One away means you’re close just one word off. That’s a cue to rethink which word might fit better elsewhere.
2. Shuffle to Refresh Your View: Don’t hesitate to shuffle the board multiple times. Seeing the words in different arrangements can spark new ideas.
3. Start with the Easy Groups: The yellow group tends to be the most obvious since those words usually share clear commonalities, like being synonyms. Just watch out for trick words that might fit more than one category.

Today’s NYT Connections: Hints, Groups, and Answers

If you’re stuck on today’s NYT Connections puzzle, don’t worry, here’s a friendly guide to help you piece everything together.

Hints to Get You Started

I like to break things down by color groups, and here’s how I approached it today:

• Yellow group: Words for a mistake
• Green group: Things related to daydreaming or zoning out
• Blue group: Items that have antennas or receivers
• Purple group: Words connected to doodles, often when you’re bored

Some hint words from each group:

• Yellow: Flub
• Green: La-la
• Blue: Radio tower
• Purple: Cheese

Official Group Themes

Here’s a bigger nudge if the hints aren’t enough:

• Yellow group: Blunder
• Green group: Lands of the imagination
• Blue group: Things with antenna/e
• Purple group:  Doodle

Answers for Today’s Puzzle

Here’s how everything fits together:

• Yellow: Blunder: boo-boo, flub, gaffe, no-no
• Green: Lands of the imagination: dream, fantasy, la-la, never never
• Blue: Things with antenna/e: insect, radio tower, satellite dish, Teletubby
• Purple: Doodle: cheese, dipsy, Google, Yankee

My Take on the Puzzle

I initially struggled with the antenna group once I realized that clue, the puzzle clicked. Choosing between Dipsy and Teletubby was tricky since both have antennas. Also, I wasn’t familiar with Dipsy Doodle or Cheese Doodle, which added some confusion. Overall, a challenging game today, but there’s nothing more satisfying than finishing it!