MEDIUMPuzzle #537

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#537) – Today's Puzzle, Nov 29

TODAY'S NYT CONNECTIONS TIP

“Start by identifying UNDERTAKING (ENDEAVOR, ENTERPRISE...) to narrow down the remaining 16-word grid!”

Written by Naveed Ahmed · Updated: November 29, 2024

← Yesterday's Connections Hint (#536, Nov 28)

Connections Hint for Each Word Today

Tap any word to see its Connections hint — what it means in today's puzzle, no spoilers.

ENDEAVOR hint: In the context of undertaking, "ENDEAVOR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ENTERPRISE hint: In the context of undertaking, "ENTERPRISE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PROJECT hint: In the context of undertaking, "PROJECT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

VENTURE hint: In the context of undertaking, "VENTURE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HERTZ hint: In the context of units, "HERTZ" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MOLE hint: In the context of units, "MOLE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SECOND hint: In the context of units, "SECOND" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

VOLT hint: In the context of units, "VOLT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NATIONAL hint: In the context of m.l.b. team member, "NATIONAL" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

RAY hint: In the context of m.l.b. team member, "RAY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TIGER hint: In the context of m.l.b. team member, "TIGER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TWIN hint: In the context of m.l.b. team member, "TWIN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

BOARDWALK hint: In the context of first words of hbo shows, "BOARDWALK" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CURB hint: In the context of first words of hbo shows, "CURB" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

GAME hint: In the context of first words of hbo shows, "GAME" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SILICON hint: In the context of first words of hbo shows, "SILICON" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

Hints uncovered0 / 16

Today's NYT Connections Hints for All Four Categories

Reveal progressively: see the category hint first, then the group name, then individual words — stop whenever you have enough.

🟡 Straightforward

🟢 Medium

🔵 Hard

🟣 Tricky

⚠️Traps & Misdirects Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle

Today’s Connections puzzle includes words intentionally placed to misdirect you into wrong groups. These traps and misdirects hints reveal which words are designed to mislead, so you don’t burn your 4 allowed mistakes on deliberate decoys.

HERTZ, MOLE, SECOND, VOLT

In today's medium category (UNITS), pay close attention to subtle shifts in meaning. Words like HERTZ, MOLE, SECOND, VOLT may appear to belong to other everyday contexts, but their true connection lies in their shared relationship to UNITS.

BOARDWALK, CURB, GAME, SILICON

The trickiest grouping today is "FIRST WORDS OF HBO SHOWS". Words such as BOARDWALK, CURB, GAME, SILICON are designed as intentional misdirects. Look past their obvious surface meanings for hidden wordplay or secondary definitions.

NATIONAL, RAY, TIGER, TWIN

Be careful with overlap between NATIONAL, RAY, TIGER, TWIN and other categories on the board. The editor often places decoy pairings in "M.L.B. TEAM MEMBER" to trap unsuspecting players into using up their 4 allowed mistakes.

Today's NYT Connections Answers

Click to reveal the complete solution — all four categories.

Category: UNDERTAKING (Straightforward) — Answers: ENDEAVOR, ENTERPRISE, PROJECT, VENTURE

Category: UNITS (Medium) — Answers: HERTZ, MOLE, SECOND, VOLT

Category: M.L.B. TEAM MEMBER (Hard) — Answers: NATIONAL, RAY, TIGER, TWIN

Category: FIRST WORDS OF HBO SHOWS (Tricky) — Answers: BOARDWALK, CURB, GAME, SILICON

Today's NYT Connections Answers Explained

UNDERTAKING

The words ENDEAVOR, ENTERPRISE, PROJECT, VENTURE all share a unique thematic connection as undertaking.

ENDEAVOR

In the context of undertaking, "ENDEAVOR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ENTERPRISE

In the context of undertaking, "ENTERPRISE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PROJECT

In the context of undertaking, "PROJECT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

VENTURE

In the context of undertaking, "VENTURE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

UNITS

The words HERTZ, MOLE, SECOND, VOLT all share a unique thematic connection as units.

HERTZ

In the context of units, "HERTZ" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MOLE

In the context of units, "MOLE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SECOND

In the context of units, "SECOND" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

VOLT

In the context of units, "VOLT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

M.L.B. TEAM MEMBER

The words NATIONAL, RAY, TIGER, TWIN all share a unique thematic connection as m.l.b. team member.

NATIONAL

In the context of m.l.b. team member, "NATIONAL" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

RAY

In the context of m.l.b. team member, "RAY" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TIGER

In the context of m.l.b. team member, "TIGER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

TWIN

In the context of m.l.b. team member, "TWIN" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FIRST WORDS OF HBO SHOWS

The words BOARDWALK, CURB, GAME, SILICON all share a unique thematic connection as first words of hbo shows.

BOARDWALK

In the context of first words of hbo shows, "BOARDWALK" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

CURB

In the context of first words of hbo shows, "CURB" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

GAME

In the context of first words of hbo shows, "GAME" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SILICON

In the context of first words of hbo shows, "SILICON" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

What Makes Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Tricky?

HERTZ, MOLE, SECOND, VOLT sit alongside NATIONAL, RAY, TIGER, TWIN and phrases like BOARDWALK, CURB, GAME, SILICON — a collision of distinct word groups and subtle misdirects.

The editor's sharpest trick is hiding a word-within-a-word: some of the multi-word phrases are not grouped by their topic but by what their first word secretly means.

How to Use Connections Hints

Everyone playing NYT Connections puzzle gets stuck at a different point. Some players can’t figure out a single word. Others have three groups solved and can’t find the fourth. Where you are stuck determines which connection hint you need.

A word in the puzzle has an unfamiliar meaning

Some words in today’s NYT Connections puzzle are uncommon. Connections editor Wyna Liu often uses words with specific or less familiar meanings, particularly in the green, blue, and purple categories. If you don’t know what a word means, you cannot reliably place it in a group.

Recommendation: Use the Word Hint. It tells you what the word means in the context of today’s puzzle. Tap any word directly on the board above to see its hint.

No groups are forming after reading all sixteen words

The connection between words is often not obvious from their meanings alone — categories are built around themes that require a specific angle to see. These category-level clues are the most useful hints.

Recommendation: Use the Category Hint. It points you toward the theme of a category without revealing the category name or which words belong to it. Tap “Yellow Category Hint” first.

You have a possible group but aren’t ready to guess

You think four words belong together but you’re not confident enough to guess. If you’re unsure, don’t guess yet — a wrong guess costs you one of your four mistakes.

Recommendation: Use the Category Name. It reveals the exact name of the category without showing you which words belong to it.

One word seems to fit more than one group

You have built a group of four words but one word in it could also fit somewhere else. NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu deliberately places misleading words on the board.

Recommendation: Use the Traps and Misdirects Hints. It identifies the specific misleading words in today’s puzzle and explains why they don’t belong where you think they do.

You know the category but can’t find all four words

You have identified the theme of a category but can’t find all four words that belong to it.

Recommendation: Use the Word Reveal. It uncovers one masked word at a time without revealing the full group. This is the most precise connection hint available.

One mistake left with two groups unsolved

You have one mistake remaining and two groups unsolved. If you guess wrong here, the game ends and NYT reveals all the answers automatically.

Recommendation: Do not guess yet. Use the Category Name for both remaining groups first. If that is still not enough, tap “Category Words” and reveal one word at a time.

You want today’s answers without solving the puzzle

Use the Answers section. It shows all four category names and the four words that belong to each one.

Recommendation: Go to the Answers section.

The puzzle is over but a category still doesn’t make sense

You can see the four groups and their words but the connection between them isn’t clear.

Recommendation: Use the Answer Explanation. It tells you exactly what connects the words in each category and why each individual word belongs there.

Browse Past Puzzles

View answers and hints for every previous NYT Connections puzzle.

Puzzle Archive →

Frequently Asked Questions

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle by The New York Times where you group 16 words into 4 categories of 4 words each. Each category has a hidden theme color-coded by difficulty.

Yellow is the most straightforward category, Green is medium difficulty, Blue is harder, and Purple contains the trickiest, most misleading groupings.

Yes, NYT Connections is free to play once per day on the New York Times Games website.

A new NYT Connections puzzle releases every day at midnight in your local time zone (12:00 AM ET for US Eastern Time).

Naveed Ahmed

@NaveedAhmedDev•@naveedcolab

Lead Writer & Connections Puzzle Analyst

Naveed is a dedicated puzzle strategist and word game analyst who breaks down daily NYT Connections categories, uncovers tricky wordplay patterns, and delivers progressive, spoiler-free clues to help thousands of players solve every puzzle.