Connections Hints

Thursday, August 17, 2023

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — August 17, 2023

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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
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Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

CAKE
COBBLER
DANCE
DISTORT
DOCTOR
FISHER
FUDGE
MASON
MEAL
MILLER
ONE
PIE
ROOT
SMITH
TART
TWIST
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Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

DESSERTSStraightforward
OCCUPATIONAL SURNAMESModerate
ALTER DECEPTIVELYTricky
SQUARE ___Devious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

DESSERTSStraightforward
SWEET TREATS YOU MIGHT FIND AT A BAKERY OR DINER+ 3 more…
OCCUPATIONAL SURNAMESModerate
LAST NAMES THAT HINT AT AN ANCESTOR'S JOB+ 3 more…
ALTER DECEPTIVELYTricky
WAYS TO MANIPULATE OR MISREPRESENT INFORMATION+ 3 more…
SQUARE ___Devious
WORDS THAT FOLLOW 'SQUARE' TO MAKE A COMMON PHRASE+ 3 more…
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Full solution
DESSERTSStraightforward
CAKE,COBBLER,PIE,TART

CAKE, COBBLER, PIE, and TART are all classic desserts or sweet baked goods

OCCUPATIONAL SURNAMESModerate
FISHER,MASON,MILLER,SMITH

FISHER, MASON, MILLER, and SMITH are all common surnames derived from occupations (fishing, masonry, milling, and blacksmithing)

ALTER DECEPTIVELYTricky
DISTORT,DOCTOR,FUDGE,TWIST

DISTORT, DOCTOR, FUDGE, and TWIST all mean to alter or falsify something deceptively

SQUARE ___Devious
DANCE,MEAL,ONE,ROOT

DANCE, MEAL, ONE, and ROOT all follow SQUARE to form compound words or phrases: square dance, square meal, square one, square root

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