NYT Connections Puzzle Stumps Players with Clever Word Tricks on February 17
The New York Times Connections puzzle for Tuesday, February 17, featured a mix of straightforward and tricky word groupings. Players had to sort 16 words into four categories, each with a distinct theme. Some combinations proved more confusing than others.
The blue group included words related to flicking through pages: FLIP, LEAF, SKIM, and THUMB. The green group listed sauces common in Chinese cooking: HOISIN, OYSTER, PLUM, and SOY. Meanwhile, the yellow group focused on speed, with DART, FLASH, SPEED, and ZIP.
A challenge arose from the overlap between the yellow and blue groups. Words like FLASH and ZIP (meaning 'to go fast') appeared alongside THUMB (linked to page-turning), potentially misleading players. The purple group, containing synonyms for 'dud'—BOMBAY, BUSTLE, FLOPPY, and MISSUS—added another layer of difficulty.
Four words—FLASH, THUMB, FLOPPY, and ZIP—served as red herrings, not fitting neatly into any single category at first glance. Players who struggled with these could turn to the author's Discord community for discussion.
For those seeking extra help, the author's newsletter, Pastimes, offers hints and solutions for weekend editions of NYT Connections. Tomorrow's puzzle will also receive coverage, along with another edition of the column.
The February 17 puzzle tested players' ability to spot connections while avoiding distractions. The author's newsletter and Discord remain available for further hints and community discussion. Tomorrow's edition will bring a fresh set of challenges for solvers.
