The New York Times' Connections game keeps drawing in word puzzle enthusiasts, and yesterday's edition on October 1, puzzle number 843, proved no exception. With its blend of tricky themes and everyday vocabulary, it left some players scratching their heads while others breezed through. Indeed, the daily ritual of sorting 16 words into four groups of four has become a staple for morning commutes or coffee breaks, but this one demanded a bit more lateral thinking.
Starting with the easier categories, one group revolves around fast-moving water features: think cataract, current, rapids, and whirlpool. These evoke rushing rivers and turbulent flows, a nod to nature's more dynamic side. However, the puzzle didn't stop there. Another set focuses on sharp critiques or barbs, including bite, dig, jab, and slam—words that sting in conversation or reviews alike. It's almost as if the editors were poking fun at our critical tendencies.
Moving on, the echoey places category captures spaces known for reverberation: cavern, hall, tunnel, valley. Picture shouting in a cave and hearing it bounce back; that's the vibe here. And then there's the trickier one, prizes that aren't exactly triumphant—booby, consolation, door, participation. These highlight the ironic side of rewards, where showing up gets you something, but not glory. Moreover, solving it requires spotting those subtle connections without overthinking, though many did anyway.
Overall, puzzle 843 clocked in at a moderate difficulty, with yellow being straightforward water terms, green for critiques, blue echoing spots, and purple the prize curveball. Players on social media buzzed about the purple group in particular, calling it cleverly devious. Yet, as with any Connections, it's the satisfaction of that final click that hooks you.
What makes these puzzles endure, though, is how they mirror the messiness of language itself.