Today’s NYT Connections hint & answers for February 24
Clues and hints to help you solve puzzle #989
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If today’s NYT Connections puzzle is tripping you up, you’re not alone. With 16 words on the board and only four mistakes allowed, it’s easy to chase a “nearly right” idea before the real patterns click into place. Below, you’ll find a set of spoiler-light hints to guide you toward the correct groupings, and if you’d rather skip straight to the solution, the full answers are further down the page.
This guide covers NYT Connections puzzle #989, released on Tuesday, February 24.
Hints for today’s Connections groups
Here are four clues to help point you in the right direction. They’re ordered from the easiest category to the toughest:
- 🟨 hint: Hard, white, and found in nature
- 🟩 hint: Things strongly associated with Scotland
- 🟦 hint: Big names in theatre writing
- 🟪 hint: Words that commonly come before “beam”
If you want a little more help, here’s one word from each group:
- 🟨: BONES
- 🟩: BAGPIPES
- 🟦: CHEKHOV
- 🟪: BALANCE
Today’s Connections answers (February 24)
If you’re ready for the full solution, here it is:
- 🟨 Calcium-based structures: BONES, CORAL, SHELLS, TEETH
- 🟩 Symbols of Scotland: BAGPIPES, SCOTTIE, TARTAN, THISTLE
- 🟦 Famous playwrights: CHEKHOV, COWARD, MILLER, SHAW
- 🟪 ___ beam: BALANCE, JIM, LASER, TRACTOR
Some of today’s categories are pretty gettable once you land on the theme, but the purple group is the one that can slow you down; it’s less about meaning and more about spotting a common phrase pairing.
Can Connections get harder?
Connections doesn’t steadily ramp up in difficulty, but the New York Times changes the style of categories day to day. Some puzzles lean heavily on synonyms and straightforward groupings, while others rely on pop culture, wordplay, or common phrases.
If today felt manageable, tomorrow’s could be a totally different kind of challenge.
