NYT Connections #305 was published on April 11, 2024. Start with the graduated hints below if you want to preserve as much of the solve as possible; the complete categories and all 16 answers appear farther down.
Spoiler warning: The answer section reveals the full puzzle.
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How to approach Connections #305
NYT Connections asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. The links can be straightforward categories, compound phrases, word completions, or associations with a brand or character. The important test is not whether two words seem related; it is whether all four form a clean, defensible group.
For this puzzle, watch for words that can be completed with the same suffix, ordinary measuring tools, infrastructure terms, and names associated with recognizable restaurant or beverage brands.
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Hints for Connections #305
Stop here if you want to keep the puzzle mostly spoiler-free. The hints become more specific as you go.
Light hints
- One group becomes four haircut names when you add the same short word.
- One group consists of things used to measure something.
- One group concerns routes or infrastructure that can carry water or gas.
- The last group contains labels associated with well-known fast-food or beverage brands.
One-word nudges
If you need a stronger push without seeing the categories, try these representatives—one from each group:
- BUZZ
- COMPASS
- PIPE
- KING
Connections #305 answers for April 11, 2024
Spoilers follow. The puzzle published on Thursday, April 11, 2024, was Connections #305. Its 16 words were:
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BOWL, BUZZ, CHANNEL, CLOWN, COLONEL, COMPASS, CREW, KING, LINE, MAIN, MERMAID, PIPE, PIXIE, RULER, SCALE, WATCH.
Yellow: Haircuts, with “CUT”
- BOWL — bowl cut
- BUZZ — buzz cut
- CREW — crew cut
- PIXIE — pixie cut
The missing word is CUT; it is not one of the 16 entries. Adding it after each word produces four familiar haircut names. This is a word-completion category, rather than a group of words that are all independently types of haircuts.
Green: Measuring instruments
- COMPASS
- RULER
- SCALE
- WATCH
A compass determines direction, a ruler measures length, a scale measures weight, and a watch measures time. WATCH is the likely stumbling block because it is more often treated as a wearable object or a verb than as an instrument. In this group, its relevant function is telling or measuring time.
Blue: Water and gas conduits
- CHANNEL
- LINE
- MAIN
- PIPE
These words describe routes or infrastructure used to carry water or gas. A channel and a pipe can carry fluid; a gas line and a water main are standard compound terms. LINE and MAIN are deliberately broad, so they may not look technical until you place them in the context of water and gas systems.
Purple: Fast-food mascots and brand characters
- CLOWN
- COLONEL
- KING
- MERMAID
These are character labels associated with major fast-food or beverage brands: the clown is associated with McDonald’s, the colonel with KFC, the king with Burger King, and the mermaid with Starbucks. The connection is not that the four words are literally the same kind of thing. They point to recognizable brand characters.
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Connections often places words in the grid that have several plausible meanings. KING and COLONEL can look like titles, while WATCH can suggest a wearable object, a verb, or a timepiece. LINE and MAIN are similarly flexible words.
The strongest solving approach is to look for a complete set of four rather than locking in a pair. Once BOWL, BUZZ, CREW, and PIXIE suggest the shared word “cut,” the remaining words become easier to sort. The final group also depends on lateral recognition: the words are not a literal semantic category, but shorthand for brand mascots or characters.
Complete answer grid
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Haircuts, with “CUT” | BOWL, BUZZ, CREW, PIXIE |
| Green | Measuring instruments | COMPASS, RULER, SCALE, WATCH |
| Blue | Water and gas conduits | CHANNEL, LINE, MAIN, PIPE |
| Purple | Fast-food mascots and brand characters | CLOWN, COLONEL, KING, MERMAID |
Want more Connections puzzles?
If you enjoy this format, you can play more NYT Games through the official New York Times Games experience. This answer guide is for the historical April 11, 2024 puzzle, so a later April 11 date may refer to a different Connections board and puzzle number.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
The four groups were haircuts with “cut” (BOWL, BUZZ, CREW, PIXIE); measuring instruments (COMPASS, RULER, SCALE, WATCH); water and gas conduits (CHANNEL, LINE, MAIN, PIPE); and fast-food mascots or brand characters (CLOWN, COLONEL, KING, MERMAID).
What was the answer to Connections #305 on April 11, 2024?
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CUT was not on the board. It is the shared word added after BOWL, BUZZ, CREW, and PIXIE to form bowl cut, buzz cut, crew cut, and pixie cut.
Why is CUT not listed among the Connections #305 words?
In this group, WATCH refers to a time-measuring instrument. The other entries measure direction, length, and weight.
Why is WATCH a measuring instrument in Connections #305?
The Bottom Line
Connections #305, published April 11, 2024, groups its words into haircuts ending in “cut,” measuring instruments, water and gas conduits, and fast-food or beverage-brand characters.
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