The 10 Hardest Connections Puzzles of 2024

The New York Times isn’t just a prominent news source. The publication also has many games for puzzle lovers, from the crossword to sudoku. Following its debut in 2023, Connections became the second-most played NYT game, right behind Wordle. The goal is to divide 16 words into four different categories; of course, that’s easier said than done. Connections stumps people daily, and the online tool Word Unscrambler investigated which puzzles players found the hardest in 2024. 

Researchers with Word Unscrambler used Google Trends to calculate how many people searched for the phrase “Connections hint” every day last year. Connections puzzles vary daily, so a higher daily search volume suggests that more people struggled with that date’s puzzle than usual. Analysts also used the SEO tool Ahrefs to determine the number of Connections-related searches per state per day.

According to their findings, May was the month for grueling Connections puzzles. The edition from May 12 of last year was especially challenging, with 36 states having trouble solving it above all others. In Minnesota alone, 71,339 people searched for a hint to that day’s game. The May 5 puzzle was the runner-up, with four states needing an extra hand with it. The puzzle on March 17 also proved to be a doozy, as it prompted the most searches for “Connections hint” in two states.  

Here’s the complete list of the most challenging Connections puzzles of 2024, along with their words and corresponding categories:

1.      May 12, 2024: “Playfully Poke Fun At“ (KID, NEEDLE, RIB, TEASE), “Cuts of Beef“ (CHUCK, FLANK, LOIN, ROUND), “Acronyms“ (MIA, OMG, PIN, RAM), “Cocktails Minus Place Names“ (LIBRA, MAMA, MULE, SLING).

2.      May 05, 2024: “Something Gained From Hard Work“ (BENEFIT, FRUIT, RETURN, REWARD), “Kinds of Bagels“ (EGG, EVERYTHING, PLAIN, POPPY), “Contribute to a Movie“ (ACT, DIRECT, PRODUCE, WRITE), “Starts of Monsters“ (FRANK, MUM, VAMP, WERE).

3.      March 17, 2024: “Foolishness“ (ABSURDITY, FOLLY, MADNESS, NONSENSE), “Move Forward“ (ADVANCE, MARCH, PROGRESS, PUSH), “Things That Might Stink“ (CHEESE, FEET, GARBAGE, SKUNK), “Words After Deep“ (CUT, FAKE, FREEZE, SIX).

4.      March 24, 2024: “Yellow-brown Shades“ (BEIGE, CAMEL, KHAKI, TAN), “Fail to Attend“ (CUT, DITCH, MISS, SKIP), “Decisive Victory“ (BLOWOUT, ROMP, ROUT, SWEEP), “____ wheel“ (CHEESE, COLOR, HAMSTER, PRAYER).

5.      December 22, 2024: “Slang for Head“ (COCONUT, CROWN, DOME, SKULL), “Palindromes“ (ABBA, KAYAK, NUN, STATS), “Police Procedurals“ (BONES, ELEMENTARY, KOJAK, MONK), “First in a Comedy Duo“ (ABBOTT, FRY, KEY, LAUREL).

6.      February 11, 2024: “Wrest“ (JERK, TUG, WRENCH, YANK), “Buster“ (BUB, BUD, JACK, MAN), “Yoga Accessories“ (BLOCK, BOLSTER, MAT, STRAP), “_____ cap“ (HUB, KNEE, MAD, NIGHT)

7.      December 01, 2024: “Sanctuary“ (HAVEN, PORT, RETREAT, SHELTER), “Football Gear“ (CLEATS, HELMET, JERSEY, PADS), “Candy Names“ (CHARMS, KINDER, WONKA, YORK), “Free ____“ (BIRD, FALLIN‘, SOLO, WILLY)

8.      May 19, 2024: “Affluent“ (FLUSH, LOADED, RICH, WEALTHY), “Cut into Pieces“ (CHOP, CUBE, DICE, MINCE), “Old-fashioned“ (SQUARE, STRAIGHT, STUFFY, TRADITIONAL), “Fruit Homophones“ (BURY, CURRENT, LEACHY, PAIR)

9.      June 30, 2024: “Old Saying“ (ADAGE, CHESTNUT, MAXIM, SAW), “Grill Fuel Sources“ (CHARCOAL, ELECTRIC, GAS, WOOD), “Trees“ (ASH, CHERRY, EBONY, GUM), “Hot Tub Components“ (FILTER, HEATER, JET, PUMP)

10.   April 21, 2024: “Embodiment“ (EXAMPLE, IDEAL, MODEL, SYMBOL), “Related to Trains“ (CAR, CONDUCTOR, STATION, TRACK), “Starting With the Same Sound“ (CYMBAL, SCIMITAR, SIMMER, SYMPHONY), “Ear____“ (DRUM, MARK, WAX, WIG)

If one Connections puzzle a day isn’t enough for you, maybe our Kennections puzzle will scratch that same itch.

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