Connections Helper
Paste your 16 words. Get progressive hints without spoilers. Reveal the answers only when you need to.
Enter Your 16 Words
Words detected: 0 / 16
How to Use the NYT Connections Helper
The New York Times Connections puzzle is brilliant, but it can be incredibly frustrating when you're stuck staring at 16 seemingly unrelated words. You want a nudge, but looking up the answer ruins the fun of the game. That's exactly why we built the Connections Helper.
Our AI analyzes your specific board and provides tiered hints. The first hint is deliberately vague — just enough to get your brain looking in a new direction. If you're still stuck, you can reveal a stronger hint. And finally, if you just want to clear a specific color group to make the rest of the board easier, you can reveal the exact four words and their category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How does the Connections Helper work?
Paste the 16 words from today's NYT Connections puzzle into the box. Our AI analyzes the words and categorizes them just like the game. Instead of giving you the answers immediately, it provides tiered hints — starting vague and getting more specific — so you can still enjoy solving the puzzle yourself.
Is this cheating at Connections?
Not necessarily! We designed this tool specifically to give you nudges in the right direction without spoiling the game. The answers are hidden behind multiple clicks. Think of it as having a friend give you a hint when you're stuck, rather than just looking up the solution.
Why is there a daily limit?
To ensure the tool remains free and fast for everyone, we limit usage to 3 analyses per day per user. This easily covers the daily NYT puzzle plus a couple of retries or custom puzzles if needed.
Are the hints always accurate?
The AI is highly accurate and usually matches the official NYT groupings exactly. However, because Connections relies on lateral thinking and double meanings, occasionally the AI might group valid words slightly differently than the human editors intended. If a hint seems off, trust your own logic!