Today’s NYT Connections Answers Explained

Connections – Yellow Group

🟨 graduation gear (CAP, DIPLOMA, GOWN, TASSEL)

In the U.S. and some other countries, a college or university graduate will traditionally wear a GOWN and a square academic CAP as they take the stage to collect their DIPLOMA. After they do, they flip or turn the TASSEL from the right to the left, signifying their status as a graduate.

Connections – Green Group

🟩 tedious undertaking (CHORE, GRIND, HASSLE, TRIAL)

The category title takes care of this one.

Connections – Blue Group

🟦 oversimplistic (FACILE, FLIP, SHALLOW, TRITE)

Again, the category title describes these words aptly. They’re adjectives for something that lack depth or complexity.

Connections – Purple Group

🟪 shapes of chess pieces (CASTLE, CROWN, HORSE, MITER)

In chess, the rook piece is shaped like a CASTLE:

The queen traditionally has a CROWN on top:

The knight is shaped like a HORSE:

I totally forgot what a MITER is. It’s the traditional headdress of a bishop. So, it’s fitting that it’s traditionally on a bishop chess piece:

Connections – Red Herrings

There is a red herring of homophones or soundalikes: TASSEL, CASTLE, FACILE and HASSLE.

FLIP and GRIND are both types of skateboarding tricks, but I didn’t see anything else that worked with those.

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I’ll be back with another set of NYT Connections hints and answers tomorrow, as well as another edition of this one, all going well. You’ll be able to find both of those on my Forbes author page when the time comes (following me there helps me out too!). As for the weekend editions of my NYT Connections hints and answers column, I’m currently doing that via my newsletter, Pastimes.