Need help with NYT Connections #491? This puzzle was published on October 14, 2024. The best route is to start with the four category ideas below, then use the one-word nudges if you are stuck. The complete groups and explanations appear farther down, so stop before the spoiler section if you still want to solve it yourself.
Hints for Connections #491
The 16-word board can be divided into four groups of four. Here are spoiler-controlled clues, from broadest to most specific.
Yellow group hint
Think of different ways to search through, inspect, or examine something.
Green group hint
These words can describe noises associated with thunder.
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Blue group hint
These are hairstyles or hair arrangements that can be worn up.
Purple group hint
Each word can be preceded by or associated with leaves, either literally or through a familiar phrase or object.
One-word nudges
- Yellow: Search thoroughly.
- Green: Think about how a storm sounds at different distances.
- Blue: One entry is shorthand for a familiar ponytail style.
- Purple: Consider reading material, food, furniture, and nature.
Spoiler warning: the Connections #491 answers
The full solutions are below. If you are still working on the grid, this is the point to stop.
Yellow: RUMMAGE
COMB, DIG, ROOT, SIFT
All four words can describe searching through something or examining it carefully:
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- DIG: To dig can mean to investigate or search for information.
- ROOT: To root around means to rummage through things while looking for something.
- SIFT: To sift through material is to examine it carefully and separate what matters from what does not.
The group is difficult because ROOT and DIG can initially evoke gardening, excavation, or outdoor activity. In this category, however, they are being used as search-related verbs.
Green: SOUNDS OF THUNDER
CLAP, PEAL, ROLL, RUMBLE
Each word can describe the sound or acoustic character of thunder:
- a clap of thunder
- a peal of thunder
- the roll of thunder
- the rumble of thunder
ROLL is the likely trap here. It can function as an ordinary movement verb, but “the roll of thunder” is a familiar description of a storm’s extended sound.
Blue: WAYS TO WEAR YOUR HAIR UP
BRAID, BUN, PONY, TWIST
These are hairstyles or hair arrangements that can be worn up. In the grid, the entry is PONY; it refers to a ponytail, rather than being the full name of the hairstyle.
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- BUN: A bun gathers the hair into a rounded arrangement.
- PONY: This is shorthand for a ponytail.
- TWIST: Hair can be twisted and pinned or secured up.
The wording matters: the category is not limited to one particular formal updo. It includes several broad ways of arranging hair off the shoulders or away from the face.
Purple: THINGS THAT CAN HAVE LEAVES
BOOK, SALAD, TABLE, TREE
This is the puzzle’s broadest group, mixing literal and figurative meanings of leaves:
- BOOK: A book has leaves, meaning individual sheets or pages.
- SALAD: A salad can contain leafy greens.
- TABLE: A table can have leaves, or hinged sections that extend its surface.
- TREE: A tree naturally has leaves.
TREE is especially tempting alongside ROOT and DIG, since all three can suggest gardening or the outdoors. The decisive distinction is that TREE belongs with objects and foods that can have “leaves,” while ROOT and DIG join the rummaging group.
Why Connections #491 is tricky
This grid relies heavily on double meanings and familiar phrases. Several entries initially point toward nature or physical activity, but the correct categories depend on shifting how the word is being used.
| Potential trap | Why it is misleading | Correct placement |
|---|---|---|
| ROOT, DIG, TREE | They can all suggest gardening, soil, or outdoor work. | ROOT and DIG are search-related verbs; TREE belongs with things that can have leaves. |
| ROLL | It looks like a general movement word. | It describes the roll of thunder. |
| PONY | It is not the full name of a hairstyle. | It stands for a ponytail in the hair-up category. |
| LEAVES | It may suggest only trees or plants. | It also connects to book pages, salad greens, and table extensions. |
A useful solving technique is to test a suspected group against all 16 words, rather than locking in a category after finding only two or three plausible matches. Connections deliberately includes words that support an attractive but incomplete theme.
All answers at a glance
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | RUMMAGE | COMB, DIG, ROOT, SIFT |
| Green | SOUNDS OF THUNDER | CLAP, PEAL, ROLL, RUMBLE |
| Blue | WAYS TO WEAR YOUR HAIR UP | BRAID, BUN, PONY, TWIST |
| Purple | THINGS THAT CAN HAVE LEAVES | BOOK, SALAD, TABLE, TREE |
About the October 14 puzzle
Connections #491 is the New York Times puzzle dated October 14, 2024. The year is important: a search for “October 14 Connections” can also surface puzzles from later years with different numbers and answers.
Connections presents 16 words that must be organized into four groups of four. The categories are not necessarily literal, and the game often uses homonyms, idioms, abbreviations, and words that can serve more than one grammatical role. That is why the strongest-looking connection is not always the intended one.
The New York Times Games app includes Connections, and subscribers can access an archive of past Games puzzles. The answer explanations here are a guide to the word relationships in the grid, not an official difficulty rating or an official NYT commentary.
Best Value
Want more puzzles?
If you enjoy solving Connections away from a screen, the publisher describes the Connections puzzle book as a print collection containing more than 100 puzzles, including exclusive puzzles not found in the digital game. The publisher page lists an October 27, 2026 publication date, so check current availability and retailer listings before ordering; it is an optional way to continue solving, not something required for Connections #491.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the answers to NYT Connections #491 on October 14, 2024?
The groups are RUMMAGE—COMB, DIG, ROOT, SIFT; SOUNDS OF THUNDER—CLAP, PEAL, ROLL, RUMBLE; WAYS TO WEAR YOUR HAIR UP—BRAID, BUN, PONY, TWIST; and THINGS THAT CAN HAVE LEAVES—BOOK, SALAD, TABLE, TREE.
Why is PONY in the hair category?
PONY is the grid’s shorthand for ponytail. It joins BRAID, BUN, and TWIST as ways to wear your hair up.
Why does TREE not belong with ROOT and DIG?
TREE is connected to the purple category, THINGS THAT CAN HAVE LEAVES. ROOT and DIG are search-related verbs and belong with COMB and SIFT in RUMMAGE.
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Is October 14, 2024 the same puzzle as October 14 in another year?
No. Connections puzzles receive different numbers and answers on different dates. Puzzle #491 is the October 14, 2024 game, so the year should be included when searching for this solution.
The Bottom Line
Connections #491 uses double meanings to separate search verbs, thunder sounds, updo hairstyles, and things that can have leaves. The key traps are PONY as shorthand for ponytail, ROLL as a sound of thunder, and TREE as the leaves-related answer rather than a partner for ROOT and DIG.
Quick Recap
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