A “bold place” is what everyone calls the daily hints and solutions that Forbes posts for the New York Times crossword puzzle called Connections.
If you arrived from At a loss on a 16-word board? This is how the puzzle functions, how to interpret the Forbes clues, and when people usually start to go astray.
Key Takeaways
- Connections is made by The New York Times, not by Forbes.
- Forbes publishes daily hints and answers for the puzzle, which is why people search “forbes connections.”
- The goal is to sort 16 words into four hidden groups of four.
- The colors run from yellow (easiest) to green, blue, and purple (hardest).
- Four wrong guesses end the game, and there is no time limit.
- A new puzzle goes live at midnight local time.
- The best way to use hints is to read one nudge at a time and keep the answers for last.
What Forbes Connections Actually Means
Forbes is a business media publisher. It doesn’t own, produce or operate Connections. The game is owned by The New York Times and is part of the NYT Games suite.
So why does the saying go? Because Forbes publishes a daily piece entitled “NYT Connections Hints And Answers,” with the date in the title. People search for it by name, and the abbreviated form of “forbes connections” stuck.
Some web pages make Forbes Connections out to be its own puzzle or a Forbes product. That is wrong. If you want to play the real thing, you play it on the New York Times Games website or app.
What Is the NYT Connections Game?
Connections is a daily word puzzle. The New York Times introduced it in June 2023, and it has been one of the paper’s most popular games since.
The basic rules
You have 16 words: There are 4 groups of 4 words that form a theme within themselves. You need to find all the four groups to win and all the groups have a distinct hidden theme.
In one puzzle, “Endeavor,” “Enterprise,” “Project,” and “Venture” were connected by the word “undertaking.” But it’s not often that clear, said the puzzle-maker. Many boards contain words that also appear in two or more other groups.
What the four colors mean
Each of the groups has a color, and the color represents the level of difficulty.
- Yellow: the easiest group
- Green: a step up
- Blue: harder
- Purple: the trickiest, often built on wordplay
It doesn’t reveal the color until after you’ve solved a group. But knowing the order still lets you plan. Purple groups frequently have things like homophones, hidden words, or letters added or dropped, and not just meaning.
Mistakes and the shuffle button
You get four guesses to be wrong. After four, the game ends and the right answers are revealed. There’s no clock, so you can take as long as you like.
If the board feels stuck, the shuffle button will rearrange the words on screen. That sounds like a small thing, but a new layout can really smash a bad pattern in your head.
When Does the New Puzzle Appear?
Connections is released every day at 12 am local time. Forbes mentions this in their daily tips post.
The time that Forbes releases the daily hints article is unknown to the public. You can find an early hint on the Forbes site after the puzzle has been released.
How to Use Forbes Connections Hints Without Ruining the Puzzle
Hints aren’t cheating. It’s more like a nudge in the right direction. The key is to take only as much help as you need.
- Try the board first. Gently give it a few minutes on your own. Most people can identify the yellow group quickly.
- Read one hint at a time. Stop as soon as something clicks.
- Skip the answers until you are truly done. Seeing the full solution early takes away the “aha” moment.
- Look at why you missed it. If the answer was wordplay, that is useful to remember for next time.
As you play, hints can help you understand how the puzzle makers think. That makes you faster and you don’t have to help every day.
Strategy Tips That Actually Help
- Start with the group you are most sure about. Locking in one set removes four words and clears the board.
- Watch for red herrings. A word that fits two groups is a deliberate trap. Count how many words could fit a theme. If you can name five candidates for a group of four, one of them belongs somewhere else.
- Think about wordplay. NYT puzzle editor Wyna Liu has said some groups depend on tricks like palindromes, homophones, or adding and dropping letters.
- Say the words out loud. Sound-based links, like homophones, are easy to miss when you only read.
- Pay attention to “one away.” When the game tells you that you are one word off, you have three right words in that guess. Swap the odd one out.
Common Mix-Ups About Forbes Connections
“Forbes makes Connections.” It does not. The New York Times does.
“Forbes Connections is a separate game.” There is only one Connections puzzle. Forbes just writes about it.
“Forbes is the only place for hints.” Not true. Other outlets such as Newsweek and CNET also publish daily Connections hints and answers.
“The colors are random.” They are not. They signal difficulty, even though the order of words on the board is mixed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Forbes Connections a real game?
No. It is a nickname for the daily hints Forbes publishes for the NYT Connections puzzle.
Who owns the Connections puzzle?
The New York Times owns and publishes it as part of NYT Games.
How many mistakes can I make?
Four. After the fourth wrong guess, the game ends and shows the solution.
Is there a time limit? No.
You can play at your own pace.
When does a new Connections puzzle come out?
Every day at midnight local time.
Is it cheating to read hints?
But most players don’t think like that. Reading a nudge is … ok. The thing that spoils all the fun is leaping straight to the answers.
Are the Forbes hints free to read?
Access rules can be updated, and I have not been able to verify the current configuration. You can check the Forbes website directly.
Final Thoughts
Forbes Connections is pretty much just a daily digest for a New York Times puzzle. Think of the clues as a hint and not as a cheat, and you’ll start noticing patterns more quickly after a few run-throughs.
