Spoiler warning: The hints below start gently; the category names and full answers follow. This is the historical NYT Connections puzzle for Tuesday, October 15, 2024, game #492.
Words in Connections #492
The 16 tiles were:
DRIVE, PENNYWISE, SAFETY, NICKELODEON, QUARTERBACK, HISTORY, DIMENSIONAL, HOMEY, DEFENSE, GUARD, JOKER, DISCOVERY, OXYGEN, DEMOCRAT, CENTER, and RONALD.
Hints for the four groups
- One group names roles on a football team.
- One group consists of television channels.
- One group contains fictional clowns.
- For the last group, think of different meanings or expansions of the letter “D.”
Category answers
- Yellow: Football Positions
- Green: Cable Channels
- Blue: Fictional Clowns
- Purple: What “D” Might Stand For
Complete Connections #492 solution
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Football Positions | CENTER, GUARD, QUARTERBACK, SAFETY |
| Green | Cable Channels | DISCOVERY, HISTORY, NICKELODEON, OXYGEN |
| Blue | Fictional Clowns | HOMEY, JOKER, PENNYWISE, RONALD |
| Purple | What “D” Might Stand For | DEFENSE, DEMOCRAT, DIMENSIONAL, DRIVE |
Why the groups can be tricky
The football and channel groups use direct category matches. The clown set spans recognizable fictional characters, while the purple group depends on treating “D” as an initial that can stand for different words. Several tiles can look plausible in more than one context, so identifying the shared connection—not just a loose association—is key.
About this historical puzzle
TechRadar’s October 14, 2024 guide and Parade’s October 15 guide independently report the same date, game number, categories, and word groupings. TechRadar described Connections as a game of grouping four related items and noted that players could make up to four mistakes; that is its 2024 description, not a confirmation of the game’s current rules or access terms. TechRadar’s guide and Parade’s guide provide the contemporaneous answer references.
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