Immediately’s puzzle is likely to be a tad complicated, however don’t fear, I gained’t STEER you improper. Should you’re searching for the Connections reply for Thursday, November 16, 2023, learn on—I’ll share some clues, ideas, and methods, and eventually the options to all 4 classes. Alongside the way in which, I’ll clarify the meanings of the trickier phrases and we’ll learn the way every part suits collectively. Beware, there are spoilers under for November 16, NYT Connections #158! Learn on in order for you some hints (after which the reply) to immediately’s Connections recreation.
If you need a simple strategy to come again to our Connections hints daily, bookmark this web page. You may as well discover our previous hints there as effectively, in case you wish to know what you missed in a earlier puzzle.
Beneath, I’ll provide you with some indirect hints at immediately’s Connections solutions. And farther down the web page, I’ll reveal the themes and the solutions. Scroll slowly and take simply the hints you want!

Credit score: Connections/NYT
Does immediately’s Connections recreation require any particular information?
Nope, fairly simple immediately.
Hints for the themes in immediately’s Connections puzzle
Listed here are some spoiler-free hints for the groupings in immediately’s Connections:
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Yellow class – Poppycock!
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Inexperienced class – Set a course.
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Blue class – Wildlife.
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Purple class – Massive and/or notable.
Does immediately’s Connections recreation contain any wordplay?
There’s a fill-in-the-blank, and in addition a grouping the place the teams are united by one thing about their spelling and utilization. For that one, although, chances are you’ll be nonetheless in a position to determine the group based mostly on the dictionary meanings.
Prepared to listen to the solutions? Maintain scrolling in order for you slightly extra assist.
BEWARE: Spoilers observe for immediately’s Connections puzzle!
We’re about to present away a number of the solutions. Scroll slowly should you don’t need the entire thing spoiled. (The complete resolution is a bit additional down.)
What are the ambiguous phrases in immediately’s Connections?
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To BUFFALO can imply to confuse somebody, thus giving us phrases like “Buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo,” which roughly means “bison from Buffalo, New York confuse bison from Buffalo, New York.” Anyway, immediately it’s simply referring to the animal.
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HOGWASH is both slop you feed to pigs, or NONSENSE.
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A SEAL might be an animal, however immediately it’s best to suppose by way of a SEAL on an envelope, or higher but, a kind of massive authorities SEALs with all of the metaphors and symbols.
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A STEER could be a castrated BULL, raised both for meat or to turn out to be a working OX. Or it could actually simply imply to GUIDE a automobile or a gaggle of individuals towards a vacation spot.
What are the classes in immediately’s Connections?
DOUBLE BEWARE: THE SOLUTION IS BELOW
Able to study the solutions to immediately’s Connections puzzle? I give all of them away under.
What are the yellow phrases in immediately’s Connections?
The yellow grouping is taken into account to be probably the most simple. The theme for immediately’s yellow group is BALDERDASH and the phrases are: BULL, HOGWASH, NONSENSE, ROT.
What are the inexperienced phrases in immediately’s Connections?
The inexperienced grouping is meant to be the second-easiest. The theme for immediately’s inexperienced class is HELM and the phrases are: DIRECT, GUIDE, LEAD, STEER.
What are the blue phrases in immediately’s Connections?
The blue grouping is the second-hardest. The theme for immediately’s blue class is SINGLE/PLURAL ANIMALS and the phrases are: BUFFALO, DEER, FISH, MOOSE.
What are the purple phrases in immediately’s Connections?
The purple grouping is taken into account to be the toughest. The theme for immediately’s purple class is GREAT ____ and the phrases are: DANE, LAKE, SEAL, WHITE.
How I solved immediately’s Connections
One among my favourite phrases makes an look right here—HOGWASH. (I used to be heartbroken to search out there’s no good clip on YouTube of George the Janitor, backstage on the muppet present, responding to the road “Don’t give me that HOGWASH!” by holding up a bucket and saying “Nicely, what would you like me to do with it?”)
So clearly HOGWASH goes with NONSENSE, BULL, and (I take a stab) ROT. 🟨 I narrowly averted together with BUFFALO in that group, although it’s carefully associated, with Merriam-Webster itemizing its synonyms as “bewilder, baffle; additionally, bamboozle.”
DANE is both going to be an individual or canine from Denmark; I went with the latter. If we now have a fantastic DANE right here, how about a fantastic LAKE, a fantastic SEAL, and a fantastic WHITE? 🟪
STEER, BUFFALO, DEER, and MOOSE are all ruminants, however that grouping is one away! I suppose we now have to go together with FISH as an alternative 🟦 as a result of clearly the final group is about STEERing somebody the place you need them to go, together with LEAD, DIRECT, and GUIDE. 🟩
Connections Puzzle #158 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟪🟪🟪🟪 🟦🟩🟦🟦 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩
Learn how to play Connections
I’ve a full information to enjoying Connections, however right here’s a refresher on the foundations:
First, discover the Connections recreation both on the New York Occasions web site or of their Crossword app. You’ll see a recreation board with 16 tiles, every with one phrase or phrase. Your job is to pick a gaggle of 4 tiles which have one thing in widespread. Typically they’re all the identical sort of factor (for instance: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all sorts of moist climate) however generally there may be wordplay concerned (for instance, BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH are all sorts of lists: bucket listing, visitor listing, and so forth).
Choose 4 gadgets and hit the Submit button. Should you guessed appropriately, the class and shade can be revealed. (Yellow is best, adopted by inexperienced, then blue, then purple.) In case your guess was incorrect, you’ll get an opportunity to strive once more.
You win once you’ve appropriately recognized all 4 teams. However should you make 4 errors earlier than you end, the sport ends and the solutions are revealed.
Learn how to win Connections
A very powerful factor to know to win Connections is that the groupings are designed to be tough. Count on to see overlapping teams. For instance, one puzzle appeared to incorporate six breakfast meals: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. However BACON turned out to be a part of a gaggle of painters together with CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, and EGG was in a gaggle of issues that come by the dozen (together with JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). So don’t hit “submit” till you’ve confirmed that your group of 4 accommodates solely these 4 issues.
Should you’re caught, one other technique is to have a look at the phrases that appear to have no connection to the others. If all that involves thoughts once you see WHISTLER is the portray nicknamed “Whistler’s Mom,” you is likely to be on to one thing. After I solved that one, I ended up googling whether or not there was a painter named Shut, as a result of Shut didn’t match any of the apparent themes, both.
One other strategy to win once you’re caught is, clearly, to learn just a few useful hints–which is why we share these pointers daily. Test again tomorrow for the subsequent puzzle!