Today's NYT Connections hints and answers — Friday, June 28, #383

NYT Connections
(Image credit: Future)

Looking for today's Connections answers? The Connections answers on June 28 for puzzle #383 is just a skosh harder than yesterday's answers, with the Connections Companion rating this puzzle's difficulty at 2.7 out of 5.

Every day, we update this article with Connections hints and tips to help you find all 4 of today's answers. And if the hints aren't enough, you'll find all 4 answers below, with the category titles and the correlating words. Plus, we're including a reflection on yesterday's puzzle, #382, in case you're reading this in a different time zone.

Spoilers lie ahead for Connections #383. Only read on if you want to know today's Connections answers.  

Alternatively, visit our how to play NYT Connections guide for tips on how to solve the puzzle without our help.

Today's Connections answer — hints to help you solve it

Unlike our guide to today's Wordle answer, where we recommend the best Wordle start words as your strategy, solving Connections relies on identifying connecting categories among 16 words. Each category's difficulty level is represented by a color; yellow is the easiest grouping, and purple is the most challenging. Once you've made 4 mistakes in your guesses, the answers will be revealed, so hints can be helpful.

If you need hints to solve the groupings, then here are the themes of each, based on the order of difficulty:

  • 🟨 Yellow: Types of bags
  • 🟩 Green: Wiggle room
  • 🟦 Blue: Indication to proceed
  • 🟪 Purple: Underwear in the singular

These hints should get you at least some of the way towards finding today's Connections answers. If not, then you can read on for bigger clues; or, if you just want to know the answer, then scroll down further.

Here's a larger hint: Today's puzzle starts out a bit romantic and then gets partisan before settling down into old age or the history of San Francisco. Take your pick.

Today's Connections answers

So, what are today's Connections answers for game #383?

Drumroll, please...

  • 🟨 Types of bags: Clutch, messenger, satchel, tote
  • 🟩 Wiggle room: Freedom, latitude, license, slack
  • 🟦 Indication to proceed: Cue, prompt, signal, word
  • 🟪 Underwear in the singular: Boxer, brief, drawer, short

Today's puzzle was somehow easier and more boring than yesterday's puzzle. Maybe it's just me.

The first words I saw were word, brief and messenger. I started looking for a writing or communique connection. It didn't work clearly, but I saw Tote next and quickly sniffed out bags from there.

I skipped over the green category, we'll come back to that. Instead, I saw the blue category right away with prompt and signal being stacked in the grid. Cue and word were quickly found from there.

Today's purple category is the little bit of fun in the whole puzzle. Underwear in singular form is a nice little chuckle. Boxer, brief, drawer, short were all basically in the same already so it was tap, tap, tap

                                                                       tap, for the "hardest" category.

I understand what the connection for wiggle room is with the four words they presented. I don't like it but I get it. Latitude, license and freedom make the most sense. Slack is as the word suggests inert. I like the idea of the category but none of the words chosen work for me. It's not exciting but I wouldn't have minded leeway or  space as slightly more interesting words. Merriam Webster claims slack as a synonym for wiggle room, which I guess  works in the "Give them some slack" sense, still.

I think what makes the 'easier' puzzles occasionally boring or perfunctory in the fill is that you can't imagine any of the words in another category. Sometimes the wordplay is frustrating but it makes you think a little more than a straightforward down the line puzzle. 

Here's to hoping for some more excitement over the weekend.

Yesterday's Connections answers

Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Connections answers for game #382, which had a difficulty rating of 2.2 out of 5, according to the Connections Companion.

When I started today's puzzle, I managed the first two categories quite quickly and thought Connections was in a romantic mood. I actually got the green category first with always, kisses, love and yours. 

Maybe I write too many emails, but I immediately clocked the letter sign off. If I'm being honest its actually because I think too much about how to sign off any email or letter. Not that I'm saying love or kisses to colleagues. 

Following the amorous mood, the yellow Pursuit category was an easy connection with chase, hunt, quest and search. Though, perhaps romance isn't the right word when I was immediately reminded of Pepe Le Pew, the most problematic Looney Tune.

You would not believe how long I started at the final eight words. In my mind the connection was "right". I had right party, right side, right wing. I knew those were correct but couldn't find another "right" word. I understand the group within a group connection, but I couldn't find it. I guessed with camp. Perhaps subconsciously I had the answer.

Purple was perfunctory but it made sense once I saw it. Admittedly, I was trying to make a music connection with rush and bond. Leaf and mine are fun to cap it all off.

Scott Younker
West Coast Reporter

Scott Younker is the West Coast Reporter at Tom’s Guide. He covers all the lastest tech news. He’s been involved in tech since 2011 at various outlets and is on an ongoing hunt to build the easiest to use home media system. When not writing about the latest devices, you are more than welcome to discuss board games or disc golf with him.