NYT Connections #500 was published on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The puzzle’s central trick is unusually elegant: all four categories are built by placing one of the four Connections colors before each answer word.
Connections asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. Select four words that share a connection and submit them; you can make up to four mistakes. The regular puzzle has one daily grid, with yellow generally the easiest category, followed by green and blue, while purple is usually the most difficult.
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Spoiler warning: Stop reading before the “Answers” section if you still want to solve puzzle #500 yourself. The hints below progress from subtle to direct.
The 16 words in Connections #500
Show the puzzle words
The October 23, 2024 grid contained:
- JEANS
- JACKET
- RAIN
- HAZE
- GOBLIN
- JAY
- BERET
- CAB
- MOON
- PAGES
- HEART
- THUMB
- PROSE
- SALAD
- WHALE
- JOURNALISM
Hints for October 23, 2024
Try the clues in order. Each one identifies a color associated with a group, but does not immediately give away the four answer words.
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- Yellow group: Think of a color commonly associated with caution or cowardice. Each answer can follow this color.
- Green group: Think of a secondary color made by mixing yellow and blue.
- Blue group: Think of a short primary color. Each answer can follow it.
- Purple group: Think of a regal color made by mixing blue and red.
Category-level clues
- Yellow: Four familiar phrases or names beginning with a color linked with caution.
- Green: Four expressions, names, or compounds beginning with a secondary color.
- Blue: Four common phrases beginning with a primary color.
- Purple: Four expressions or titles beginning with a color associated with royalty.
Answers to NYT Connections #500
Spoiler alert: The complete groups appear below.
Yellow group: YELLOW ___
- CAB — yellow cab
- JACKET — yellow jacket
- JOURNALISM — yellow journalism
- PAGES — Yellow Pages
These four answers follow yellow to form familiar phrases or names. “Yellow Pages” is a proper name, while “yellow journalism” describes sensationalized reporting.
Green group: GREEN ___
- BERET — Green Beret
- GOBLIN — Green Goblin
- SALAD — green salad
- THUMB — green thumb
The green group combines a military nickname, a fictional character, a type of salad, and the expression “green thumb,” meaning a talent for growing plants.
Blue group: BLUE ___
- JAY — blue jay
- JEANS — blue jeans
- MOON — blue moon
- WHALE — blue whale
Each word forms a common compound or phrase after blue: a blue jay, blue jeans, a blue moon, and a blue whale.
Purple group: PURPLE ___
- HAZE — Purple Haze
- HEART — Purple Heart
- PROSE — purple prose
- RAIN — Purple Rain
The purple group is the wordplay-heavy set. It includes titles such as Purple Haze and Purple Rain, the Purple Heart decoration, and “purple prose,” a phrase for writing that is excessively ornate or embellished.
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Why this puzzle’s theme works
The four categories are not merely described by colors—the colors are the category answers. Put the appropriate color before each word and every group resolves:
| Connections color | Prefix | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | YELLOW | CAB, JACKET, JOURNALISM, PAGES |
| Green | GREEN | BERET, GOBLIN, SALAD, THUMB |
| Blue | BLUE | JAY, JEANS, MOON, WHALE |
| Purple | PURPLE | HAZE, HEART, PROSE, RAIN |
This construction also explains why some words may initially seem to belong together. “Jacket,” “jeans,” and “beret,” for example, can all suggest clothing, but only yellow jacket belongs in the yellow group, while blue jeans belongs in the blue group. The decisive connection is the color prefix, not the general subject of the word.
How to approach similar Connections puzzles
- Look for exact phrases, not broad associations. A word may fit several loose themes, but Connections usually rewards a precise compound, title, name, or idiom.
- Test possible prefixes and suffixes. In this grid, the color words become obvious only when placed before the candidate answers.
- Watch for proper names. Yellow Pages, Green Goblin, Purple Haze, and Purple Rain are as important to the solution as ordinary phrases such as green salad.
- Save the most ambiguous group for last. Purple categories are commonly the trickiest, and this one mixes music titles, a decoration, and a writing term.
- Use mistakes carefully. Since the game allows up to four incorrect submissions, avoid guessing a group based only on a vague relationship. A near-match can reveal which word is the intruder.
Connections puzzles traditionally reset at midnight in the player’s local time. Puzzle #500 refers to the 500th regular Connections game; contemporary coverage distinguished it from the separate Sports Edition.
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What was the answer to NYT Connections #500 on October 23, 2024?
The four groups were Yellow: CAB, JACKET, JOURNALISM, PAGES; Green: BERET, GOBLIN, SALAD, THUMB; Blue: JAY, JEANS, MOON, WHALE; and Purple: HAZE, HEART, PROSE, RAIN.
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- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
What was the theme of Connections puzzle #500?
Every category used a color as a prefix. The four prefixes were YELLOW, GREEN, BLUE, and PURPLE.
Was October 23, 2024, the 500th Connections puzzle?
Yes. It was identified as the 500th regular Connections game, excluding the separate Sports Edition.
The Bottom Line
NYT Connections #500 used a clean color-prefix structure: YELLOW CAB, JACKET, JOURNALISM, and PAGES; GREEN BERET, GOBLIN, SALAD, and THUMB; BLUE JAY, JEANS, MOON, and WHALE; and PURPLE HAZE, HEART, PROSE, and RAIN.
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