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These are the hints and answers for the New York Times Connections puzzle from February 14, 2024, game #248. Work through the clues below for a nudge at a time, or skip to the answer key if you want the complete solution.
Hints for Connections #248
Connections presents 16 words and asks players to sort them into four groups of four. Each group has a shared theme and a color: yellow is the easiest, while purple is the trickiest. The editors design puzzles with exactly one solution, even though some words may seem to fit more than one category. The New York Times summarizes the rules in its Connections Help Center.
- Yellow: Think of ways to make a gentle contact.
- Green: These are categories of numbers you might meet in math class.
- Blue: Picture condiments you could find in Chinese cuisine.
- Purple: Complete a familiar phrase that begins with “bear.”
How to untangle the misleading words
Do not let Valentine’s Day steer you toward affection
Kiss and Hug can look like a pair on February 14, and XO also suggests affection. But the intended groupings split them up: Kiss is a verb for touching lightly, while Hug completes a phrase with “bear.”
Keep the sauce category specific
Fruit might suggest a sauce, but the blue category is specifically Chinese-cuisine sauces. XO is the less obvious member that helps identify the set.
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Spoiler warning: full answers below
The complete groupings for the February 14, 2024 puzzle #248 are listed next.
Yellow — Touch lightly
Brush, Graze, Kiss, Skim
Green — Kinds of numbers
Odd, Perfect, Prime, Whole
Blue — Sauces in Chinese cuisine
Oyster, Plum, Soy, XO
Purple — Bear ______
Claw, Fruit, Hug, Witness
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Playing or replaying the puzzle
The daily Connections game is free to play without registering and releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. The Times lists the Games app, its Connections webpage, NYTimes.com/The Athletic, and the News app as places to play. Its archive extends back to June 12, 2023, but replaying archived puzzles requires an All Access or Games subscription; archive access is optional and is not needed for the daily game. See the New York Times Help Center for access details.
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