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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsThe NYT Connections answers for Sunday, May 12, 2024, puzzle #336 are: KID, NEEDLE, RIB and TEASE for “playfully poke fun at”; CHUCK, FLANK, LOIN and ROUND for “cuts of beef”; MIA, OMG, PIN and RAM for “acronyms / initialisms”; and LIBRE, MAMA, MULE and SLING for “cocktails minus place names.” Hints and explanations follow before the full answer breakdown.
Spoiler warning: This page gives progressively stronger hints before revealing the complete answer key for the historical Sunday, May 12, 2024 edition of Connections, puzzle #336. If you only want help, stop after the hint section.
Need a hint for Connections #336?
Here are the four category-level clues, from least specific to most useful:
- Yellow: Joke around with.
- Green: Related to a certain type of meat.
- Blue: They all stand for different words or phrases.
- Purple: Parts of the names of drinks.
The 16 words in the May 12 Connections puzzle
If you want to reconstruct the grid before checking the solution, the words were:
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CHUCK, FLANK, KID, LIBRE, LOIN, MAMA, MIA, MULE, NEEDLE, OMG, PIN, RAM, RIB, ROUND, SLING, TEASE.
Connections #336 answers for May 12, 2024
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Playfully poke fun at | KID, NEEDLE, RIB, TEASE |
| Green | Cuts of beef | CHUCK, FLANK, LOIN, ROUND |
| Blue | Acronyms / initialisms | MIA, OMG, PIN, RAM |
| Purple | Cocktails minus place names | LIBRE, MAMA, MULE, SLING |
Yellow: PLAYFULLY POKE FUN AT
KID, NEEDLE, RIB and TEASE can all be verbs meaning to make fun of someone in a playful or teasing way. The intended connection depends on the verb sense of each word, rather than on a shared noun or name.
Green: CUTS OF BEEF
CHUCK, FLANK, LOIN and ROUND are cuts or sections of beef. This is one of the more direct groups once the meat clue clicks, although chuck and round have several everyday meanings that can distract you from the food-related connection.
Blue: ACRONYMS / INITIALISMS
MIA, OMG, PIN and RAM all stand for longer words or phrases. The category is sometimes reported simply as “acronyms,” but “acronyms / initialisms” is the more careful label for this group: not every abbreviation here should necessarily be described as a pronounceable acronym.
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That distinction does not change the solving idea. Look for entries that function as shortened forms rather than treating PIN as only a physical object or an action.
Purple: COCKTAILS MINUS PLACE NAMES
The hardest group is built by removing a geographic name from a cocktail:
- LIBRE from Cuba Libre
- MAMA from Miami Mama
- MULE from Moscow Mule
- SLING from Singapore Sling
On their own, MULE and SLING look like ordinary nouns. The group becomes visible only when you recognize that each remaining word is the non-place-name portion of a drink name.
Why this puzzle was tricky
Connections asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. The challenge is not just finding relationships; it is finding the intended relationship while avoiding overlaps that could support a tempting but incorrect group.
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- RIB can suggest a body part or a beef-related term, but its intended role here is the playful verb meaning “tease.”
- CHUCK and ROUND have familiar meanings unrelated to meat, making the beef group less immediate.
- PIN can be interpreted as an object or an action before you notice its abbreviation use.
- MULE and SLING do not look like place-name wordplay until the full cocktail names come to mind.
Want more Connections-style practice?
If you enjoy this kind of wordplay, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More is an NYT Games puzzle book that includes Connections alongside other puzzle formats. Its availability and price can change, and it should not be assumed to contain this specific historical puzzle.
How to play Connections
Each daily Connections board contains 16 words. Your goal is to sort them into four groups of four, with each group sharing a connection. You can submit a group when you think you have found one, but incorrect guesses count toward the game’s limited mistake allowance, so it pays to check whether a word could fit another category before committing.
The Bottom Line
The May 12, 2024 Connections #336 groups are KID, NEEDLE, RIB, TEASE; CHUCK, FLANK, LOIN, ROUND; MIA, OMG, PIN, RAM; and LIBRE, MAMA, MULE, SLING.
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