Issue #578 Mon 9 Dec
Connections hints — December 9, 2024
Today’s grid offers a steady progression, balancing two literal groupings against a pair of wordplay-reliant sets. Keep an eye on the shorter entries, as they tend to mask their true function until the final connections fall into place.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
Staring at a blank page for twenty minutes while the coffee goes cold.
Mental processes
Set of synonyms
Members are 7–13 letters; first letters C, R, S, T.
DELIBERATION
One is CONSIDERATION.
CONSIDERATION · REFLECTION · SCRUTINY · THOUGHT
green group 7 nudges
Green group
The dry tinder gathered at the edge of the campsite before the sun dips below the ridge.
Survival equipment
Commonly associated objects
Members are 5–16 letters; first letters F, L, M.
USED IN STARTING A FIRE
One is FLINT.
FLINT · LIGHTER · MAGNIFYING GLASS · MATCHES
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
Adjusting the focus knob until the blur resolves into a single, sharp cellular wall.
Laboratory practice
Thematic equipment and components
Members are 5–10 letters; first letters M, S.
USED TO VIEW A BIOLOGICAL SAMPLE
One is MICROSCOPE.
MICROSCOPE · SLIDE · SPECIMEN · STAIN
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
The label on a generic government folder or a classic science fiction title.
Linguistic patterns
Words following a shared prefix
Members are 3–6 letters; first letters F, G, R.
WORDS AFTER “X”
One is FACTOR.
FACTOR · FILES · GAMES · RAY