The Tool Desk
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Hints for Connections #974
Each clue points to one category, listed from the gentlest nudge to the most revealing:
- Four objects or materials connected with weaving.
- Four words that can describe a way of doing something.
- Four forms of payment an author might receive.
- Four words or phrases that can follow “draw.”
How Connections works
Connections presents 16 words and asks players to find four sets of four that share a theme. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is easiest, followed by green and blue, with purple the trickiest. The New York Times explains that editors curate the words and categories using the Oxford Dictionary. As the Times puts it, “Each puzzle has exactly one solution and is meant to be tricky by having words that could fit into multiple categories.” NYT Help Center: Connections.
Spoiler warning: full answers for February 9
The groups and wordings below reveal the complete solution for puzzle #974.
#1 Best Overall
USED IN WEAVING
- LOOM
- NEEDLE
- SCISSORS
- YARN
METHOD
- APPROACH
- MANNER
- STYLE
- WAY
KINDS OF PAYMENT FOR AN AUTHOR
- ADVANCE
- BONUS
- FEE
- ROYALTY
DRAW ___
- NEAR
- POKER
- STRAWS
- THE LINE
The last group completes the phrases “draw near,” “draw poker,” “draw straws,” and “draw the line.” The date-specific answer key is listed by The Word Finder; TechRadar’s February 9 coverage also identifies the board as game #974.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play and replay
The daily game releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. The Times lists the NYT Games app and website, The Athletic, and the NYT News app as places to play; it describes Connections as free to play on those platforms. The archive, which goes back to June 12, 2023, is available to All Access and Games subscribers, according to the NYT Help Center.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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