New York Times Connections Hints and Answers for #540 December 2, 2024

Connections is a short, daily word puzzle from the New York Times. But just because it is short, doesn’t mean it is easy. Today’s puzzle is proof positive of that; you will find a whole lot of red herrings and difficult groups in this puzzle.

If you already know how to play Connections and are stuck on this puzzle, you can find help below. This article contains everything from definitions to spoilers, hints to the full answer of today’s puzzle. No matter what you need, you can find it below.

Words in the NYT Connections Puzzle #540 for December 2, 2024

The Connections puzzle for today contains the words: Trumpet, Croquet, Crocodile, Paper, Alligator, Hair, Whac-A-Mole, Herald, Polo Player, Video, Swoosh, and Declare.

What is the Definition of Croquet?

Croquet is a “game played on a lawn, in which colored wooden balls are driven through a series of wickets by means of mallets,” according to Dictionary.com.

What is the Definition of Whac-A-Mole?

Whac-A-Mole is a originally Japanese arcade game where you stand in front of a machine, and gophers or moles pop up in one of several places. You have to hit them as they pop up with a mallet in order to get points. The faster you react, the more points you earn.

Hints for the NYT Connections Puzzle

If a hint or two would help you on your journey to win this difficult puzzle game, check out the sections below. Each one contains a different kind of clue or spoiler for you.

Some General Hints for the Whole Connections Puzzle

1. Alligator and Crocodile are
not
in the same category.

2. None of these categories are about newspapers.

3. Paper and Video are in the same group.

Yellow NYT Connections Category Hints

Here are some hints for the yellow/straightforward answer:
To proclaim, to say.

Yellow Connections Category Answer

The category for the yellow/straightforward
Connections
is
Announce.

Yellow Connections Category Answer and All Four Words

The answer to the yellow/straightforward
Connections
is
Announce.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are:
Broadcast, Declare, Herald, Trumpet.

Green NYT Connections Category Hints

Here are some hints for the green/medium difficulty answer in this
browser-based game
:
Hit it with a hammer!

Green Connections Category Answer

The category for the green/medium difficulty
Connections
is
Things Involving Mallets.

Green Connections Category Answer and All Four Words

The answer to the green/medium difficulty
Connections
is
Things Involving Mallets.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are:
Carpentry, Croquet, Whac-A-Mole, Xylophone.

Blue NYT Connections Category Hints

Here are some hints for the blue/difficult answer:
Embroidered logo for clothing.

Blue Connections Category Answer

The category for the blue/difficult
Connections
is
Icon Embroidered On a Polo Shirt.

Blue Connections Category Answer and All Four Words

The answer to the blue/difficult
Connections
is
Icon Embroidered On a Polo Shirt.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are:
Crocodile, Laurel, Polo Player, Swoosh.

Purple NYT Connections Category Hints

Here are some hints for the purple/tricky answer in this
minimalist puzzle game
:
All of these words can be followed up by the same four-letter word to get four common things. The word starts with a C.

Purple Connections Category Answer

The category for the purple/tricky difficulty in
Connections
is
____ Clip.

Purple Connections Category Answer and All Four Words

The answer to the purple/tricky difficulty in
Connections
is
____ Clip.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are:
Alligator, Hair, Paper, Video.

Answers for Today’s NYT Connections #540 for December 2, 2024

If you just want to see the answer to this innovative puzzle game, look inside the expandable section below. In it, you’ll find all the categories and the words that go inside each of them.

• Yellow – Announce
  : Broadcast, Declare, Herald, Trumpet
• Green – Things Involving Mallets
  : Carpentry, Croquet, Whac-A-Mole, Xylophone
• Blue – Icon Embroidered On a Polo Shirt
  : Crocodile, Laurel, Polo Player, Swoosh
• Purple – ____ Clip
  : Alligator, Hair, Paper, Video

Want to play? Check out the New York Times Games Connections website available on almost any device with a browser.