NYT ‘Connections’ October 17: Answers and clues for game #494

Connections is the hit word game that is rivaling its New York Times stablemate, Wordle, in popularity.

The game was first introduced to the world in June 2023 and the daily puzzle is edited by Wyna Liu.

She reflected on how in the space of one year, Connections became the second-most played game on the NYT app and website.

“The response has been really incredible and overwhelming, and unexpected,” Liu told Newsweek in June as the hit game was getting ready to celebrate its first birthday.

“It’s exciting that something I care very deeply about is resonating with people.”

How to Play ‘Connections’

Connections is played by finding a common theme from a 16-word table. There are four words in each of the four themes, but some words can belong to more than one group. For example, a previous Connections puzzle featured the words cater, host, plan and throw joined together in the category “Help put on a party.”

Each theme is separated into a color from yellow, blue, green and purple, each reflecting a different level of difficulty. Players get four chances to make a mistake before losing the game. The puzzles are not always straightforward and use a range of possible associations from homophones and wordplay, among other techniques.

Some words can belong to more than one category, so players must think carefully before making their selections.

The answers for Wednesday’s puzzle are toward the end of the article, so scroll with caution if you want to work them out yourself.

‘Connections’ #494 Clues for Thursday, October 17

Newsweek has helpful hints to assist you with today’s game.

Yellow: Outdoor locations.

Green: Taking control of matters.

Blue: Film titles.

Purple: Terms that can precede a legal word.

‘Connections’ #494 Answer for Thursday, October 17

Yellow Category: GRASSY AREA

Yellow Words: Lawn, Green, Park, Yard

Green Category: DEAL WITH

Green Words: Address, Handle, Field, Answer

Blue Category: MOVIES WITH ‘S’ REMOVED

Blue Words: Jaw, Goodfella, Swinger, Car

Purple Category: ______ LAW

Purple Words: Criminal, Harvard, Lemon, Natural

Did you work out the answers? If so, congratulations; if not, don’t be put off. Practice makes perfect, and the next Connections puzzle will be published on Friday.

Connections is released at midnight in your local time zone, and Newsweek will be back tomorrow with another round of hints and tips.

In the meantime you could try your hand at The New York Times’ other popular game, Wordle, for which Newsweek also provides daily hints.