Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answer and Help for June 30, #385

Need the answers for the New York Times Connections puzzle? To me, Wordle is more of a vocabulary test, but Connections is more of a brainteaser. You’re given 16 words and asked to put them into four groups that are somehow connected. Sometimes they’re obvious, but game editor Wyna Liu knows how to trick you by using words that can fit into more than one group.

And do you also play Wordle? We’ve got today’s Wordle answer and hints too.

We’ve also got today’s answer and some general tips for Strands, a new game from the Times that’s just moved out of beta and into the NYT’s Games app.

Read more: NYT Connections Could Be the New Wordle: Our Hints and Tips

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Like a motto or aphorism.

Green group hint: Barbecue necessity.

Blue group hint: The Lorax speaks for them.

Purple group hint: Jacuzzi equipment.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Old saying.

Green group: Grill fuel sources.

Blue group: Trees.

Purple group: Hot-tub components.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is old saying. The four answers are adage, chestnut, maxim and saw.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is grill fuel sources. The four answers are charcoal, electric, gas and wood.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is trees. The four answers are ash, cherry, ebony and gum.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is hot-tub components. The four answers are filter, heater, jet and pump.

How to play Connections

Playing is easy. Winning is hard. Look at the 16 words and mentally assign them to related groups of four. Click on the four words you think go together. The groups are coded by color, though you don’t know what goes where until you see the answers. The yellow group is the easiest, then green, then blue, and purple is the toughest. Look at the words carefully, and think about related terms. Sometimes the connection has to do with just a part of the word. Once, four words were grouped because each started with the name of a rock band, including “Rushmore” and “Journeyman.”