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Warning: this page reveals the complete solution to NYT Connections puzzle #359, published Tuesday, June 4, 2024. If you are still trying to solve it, stop after the hints section. The puzzle is historical, so the date and game number matter: this is not the answer to the current daily game.
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Hints for Connections #359
The 16 words in the June 4 board were:
STAFF, HAT, MAKE, BRIDGE, HATCH, NET, ROBE, SPAN, CLEAR, KEEL, CLEF, SECTION, SUITE, BEARD, DECK, EARN
Connections asks you to divide those 16 words into four groups of four. The groups are usually presented from easiest to hardest: yellow, green, blue, and purple. You can make up to four incorrect guesses.
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Progressive clues
- Yellow: Pay packet. Think of verbs meaning to receive or take home money.
- Green: Gandalf’s wardrobe. Consider the recognizable pieces of a stereotypical wizard’s outfit.
- Blue: Ship shape. Look for parts or areas found on a vessel.
- Purple: Third letter. Each answer can follow the letter C.
Those clues deliberately point toward different kinds of connections: a semantic group about income, a visual costume group, a nautical group, and finally a wordplay group.
NYT Connections #359 answers for June 4, 2024
Yellow: TAKE HOME, AS IN INCOME
CLEAR, EARN, MAKE, NET
Each word can describe money received or retained as income. You can earn money, make money, net a particular amount, or clear a particular amount after deductions or costs.
This is the most direct group on the board and a useful place to start. “Net” is especially helpful because it can refer to the amount left after deductions, while “clear” can mean to take home a specified sum.
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Green: PARTS OF A WIZARD COSTUME
BEARD, HAT, ROBE, STAFF
These are the familiar elements of the classic wizard look. The reference to Gandalf in the hint is intended to bring this costume combination to mind: a long beard, pointed or distinctive hat, flowing robe, and magical-looking staff.
The group is based on a stereotypical costume rather than on items every fictional wizard must wear. That distinction matters: the puzzle is looking for recognizable visual associations, not a strict definition of wizard clothing.
Blue: FOUND ON A SHIP
BRIDGE, DECK, HATCH, KEEL
A ship may have a bridge, deck, hatch, and keel. The bridge is the area from which a vessel is navigated; the deck is a floor or level; a hatch is an opening or covering; and the keel is the structural backbone running along the bottom of a ship.
HATCH is a likely trap because it is common in many non-nautical contexts. SUITE may also look tempting if you picture a cruise ship, but it belongs elsewhere. The confirmed nautical group uses HATCH, not SUITE.
Purple: C-___
CLEF, SECTION, SPAN, SUITE
Place the letter C before each word to form a familiar term or phrase:
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- C-section — a cesarean section.
- C-SPAN — the American public-affairs television network.
- C-suite — the group of senior corporate executives whose titles commonly begin with C, such as CEO.
This is the hardest category because the four unmodified words do not share one obvious subject. The connection appears only when the same prefix is added to each.
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Why this puzzle was tricky
Connections puzzles are designed to offer several plausible relationships at once. In #359, BRIDGE and SPAN can both suggest crossing a gap. BRIDGE and CLEF can also send you toward music, since a bridge is a section of a song and a clef is a musical symbol. Neither association produces the intended group of four.
The biggest nautical distraction is SUITE. A suite can certainly be found on some cruise ships, but that is not the direct word relationship the puzzle wants. Once SUITE is tested with the letter C, C-suite becomes a much stronger and more specific fit. That leaves HATCH for the ship group.
The puzzle also rewards solving the clear income group first. Removing CLEAR, EARN, MAKE, and NET reduces the number of competing interpretations. The wizard group is then visually recognizable, while the remaining four words reveal the C-prefix pattern.
Complete grouping at a glance
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Take home, as income | CLEAR, EARN, MAKE, NET |
| Green | Parts of a wizard costume | BEARD, HAT, ROBE, STAFF |
| Blue | Found on a ship | BRIDGE, DECK, HATCH, KEEL |
| Purple | C-___ | CLEF, SECTION, SPAN, SUITE |
How to approach similar Connections boards
- Scan for an unusually tight group. Four words that can complete the same phrase or describe the same concrete objects are often the best opening.
- Test the obvious category, but do not commit too quickly. A word such as BRIDGE may fit several themes. Ask whether the proposed group has four strong matches rather than one or two attractive ones.
- Look for phrase patterns. Prefixes, suffixes, abbreviations, and words that follow a letter or number are common sources of purple groups. The C-___ set in this puzzle is an example.
- Watch for broad associations. “Found on a ship” could invite many answers, but the intended words are specific physical features: BRIDGE, DECK, HATCH, and KEEL.
- Use the remaining board as evidence. If a candidate category leaves behind four words that form a clean phrase pattern, that is often confirmation that the first group is correct.
Want more Connections practice?
For offline practice, the forthcoming Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay is the closest match to this game. The publisher describes it as the first book-form collection of the New York Times Games category-matching puzzle, curated by Wyna Liu, with more than 100 puzzles and a lay-flat format. The listed hardcover edition has ISBN 9798893312607 and a publication date of October 27, 2026, so availability should be checked before purchasing. There is no basis for assuming that puzzle #359 appears in the book.
Readers looking for a broader selection can also consider Puzzle Mania!, an NYT Games collection that includes new spins on digital games such as Connections. It is a general NYT Games collection rather than a book specifically dedicated to the June 4, 2024 puzzle.
The 16-word board and solution grouping are cross-checked against the contemporary report from TechRadar’s June 4, 2024 Connections coverage. A conflicting indexed page lists a different board and categories; it does not match the #359 word set and is not used here.
Frequently Asked Questions
The four groups are CLEAR, EARN, MAKE, NET; BEARD, HAT, ROBE, STAFF; BRIDGE, DECK, HATCH, KEEL; and CLEF, SECTION, SPAN, SUITE.
What are the answers to NYT Connections #359?
The purple category was C-___: C-clef, C-section, C-SPAN, and C-suite.
What was the purple category in Connections #359?
Although a suite may be found on a cruise ship, SUITE forms C-suite when preceded by C. HATCH is the intended fourth word in the ship group.
Why is SUITE not in the ship category?
The Bottom Line
The answer to NYT Connections #359, published June 4, 2024, is CLEAR, EARN, MAKE, NET for income; BEARD, HAT, ROBE, STAFF for wizard costume parts; BRIDGE, DECK, HATCH, KEEL for ship features; and CLEF, SECTION, SPAN, SUITE for C-___ terms.
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