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NYT Connections puzzle #343 is from May 19, 2024—not May 19, 2025, which was puzzle #708. Start with the graduated hints below if you want to solve it yourself; the complete groups are revealed in the clearly marked spoiler section.
Hints for Connections #343
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. Each puzzle has one intended solution, and words may appear to fit more than one category. The official Connections Help Center explains the rules and color-coded difficulty: yellow is easiest and purple is trickiest.
- First hint: FLUSH, LOADED, RICH, and WEALTHY share a meaning.
- Second hint: CHOP, CUBE, DICE, and MINCE are related to cutting food.
- Third hint: SQUARE, STRAIGHT, STUFFY, and TRADITIONAL can all describe something old-fashioned.
- Last hint: The remaining words point to fruits through sound-alike wordplay.
Full solution — spoilers
The four groups for Connections #343 are:
- Affluent: FLUSH, LOADED, RICH, WEALTHY
- Cut into pieces: CHOP, CUBE, DICE, MINCE
- Old-fashioned: SQUARE, STRAIGHT, STUFFY, TRADITIONAL
- Fruit homophones: BURY, CURRENT, LEACHY, PAIR
Why the fruit group works
The final group uses sound-alikes: BURY/berry, CURRENT/currant, LEACHY/lychee, and PAIR/pear. Pronunciation varies by accent, so these pairs will not sound identical to every player. That is the trick behind the group—not a claim that the words are exact matches in every variety of English.
Which May 19 puzzle is this?
The date matters when looking up an older Connections answer. Puzzle #343 is dated May 19, 2024. May 19, 2025 was a different puzzle, #708, so a guide labeled only “May 19” may refer to the wrong day.
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Can you play this older puzzle?
The NYT Help Center says eligible subscribers can play older puzzles through the Connections archive. Access is not guaranteed for every reader; check the archive and your subscription eligibility in NYT Games for current availability.
Quick Recap
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