Spoiler warning: This page reveals the hints and answers for NYT Connections puzzle #418, published on Friday, August 2, 2024. The puzzle number matters because the New York Times publishes a different Connections board on August 2 in other years.
Need a nudge before seeing the answers? Start with the hints below and open the categories in order from least revealing to most revealing.
Hints for Connections #418
Connections asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. The categories may overlap, so look for the most precise connection rather than a merely possible one.
Yellow hint
Something you might do when someone’s patience is being pushed.
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Green hint
Actions associated with working a turntable or DJ setup.
Blue hint
Words that can describe grammatical categories or constructions.
Purple hint
Different senses or applications of the color green.
Stronger clues
If the first set of hints was not enough, these published-style clues narrow the groups further:
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- Yellow: Stretch, as one’s patience.
- Green: Things a DJ does.
- Blue: Adjectives used in grammar.
- Purple: What “green” might mean.
Connections #418 answers
Yellow: STRETCH, AS ONE’S PATIENCE
STRAIN, TAX, TEST, TRY
Each word can follow “one’s patience.” A difficult situation can strain, tax, test, or try someone’s patience.
Green: THINGS A DJ DOES
MIX, SAMPLE, SCRATCH, SPIN
These are actions associated with DJing. A DJ may mix tracks, sample audio, scratch records, or spin records and tracks.
Blue: ADJECTIVES USED IN GRAMMAR
DIRECT, IRREGULAR, POSSESSIVE, PRESENT
Each word modifies a familiar grammatical term: direct object, irregular verb, possessive pronoun, and present tense.
Purple: WHAT “GREEN” MIGHT MEAN
ECOLOGICAL, JEALOUS, LUSH, NAUSEOUS
Here, the words are not synonyms. Each represents a possible meaning, association, or use of green. Something green may be ecological, a person may be jealous or “green with envy,” vegetation may be lush, and someone who looks green may be nauseous or sickly. “Green” can also suggest inexperience in other contexts, but NAUSEOUS is the intended board answer.
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Why this board was tricky
- TEST, TRY, and SAMPLE: TEST and TRY look like natural partners, while SAMPLE can suggest experiments or evaluation. SAMPLE belongs with the DJ actions instead.
- POSSESSIVE and JEALOUS: Both can relate to relationships or jealousy in ordinary usage. POSSESSIVE is the grammar word; JEALOUS belongs in the group of meanings associated with “green.”
- PRESENT: It can mean a gift or something happening now, but its intended use is the grammatical phrase present tense.
- The purple group: This is a broad polysemy group. ECOLOGICAL, JEALOUS, LUSH, and NAUSEOUS do not share one definition; they connect through different senses or associations of “green.”
Full sixteen-word board
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| STRETCH, AS ONE’S PATIENCE | STRAIN, TAX, TEST, TRY |
| THINGS A DJ DOES | MIX, SAMPLE, SCRATCH, SPIN |
| ADJECTIVES USED IN GRAMMAR | DIRECT, IRREGULAR, POSSESSIVE, PRESENT |
| WHAT “GREEN” MIGHT MEAN | ECOLOGICAL, JEALOUS, LUSH, NAUSEOUS |
Want more Connections puzzles?
Readers who enjoy the category-matching format can continue away from the screen with a physical Connections puzzle book: Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay. The publisher describes the edition as containing more than 100 puzzles based on the same kind of word-grouping challenge. It is a separate collection, so do not assume it includes puzzle #418 unless the edition’s contents specifically confirm that.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the answer to NYT Connections #418 on August 2, 2024?
The groups were STRETCH, AS ONE’S PATIENCE: STRAIN, TAX, TEST, TRY; THINGS A DJ DOES: MIX, SAMPLE, SCRATCH, SPIN; ADJECTIVES USED IN GRAMMAR: DIRECT, IRREGULAR, POSSESSIVE, PRESENT; and WHAT “GREEN” MIGHT MEAN: ECOLOGICAL, JEALOUS, LUSH, NAUSEOUS.
What was the purple group in Connections #418?
The purple category was WHAT “GREEN” MIGHT MEAN, with ECOLOGICAL, JEALOUS, LUSH, and NAUSEOUS.
Why was SAMPLE not grouped with TEST and TRY?
SAMPLE can suggest an experiment, which makes it a tempting red herring. In this puzzle, SAMPLE belongs with MIX, SCRATCH, and SPIN as something a DJ does.
The Bottom Line
NYT Connections #418, published August 2, 2024, grouped STRAIN, TAX, TEST, and TRY around patience; MIX, SAMPLE, SCRATCH, and SPIN around DJ actions; DIRECT, IRREGULAR, POSSESSIVE, and PRESENT as grammatical adjectives; and ECOLOGICAL, JEALOUS, LUSH, and NAUSEOUS as meanings or associations of “green.”
Quick Recap
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