Need the answers for the New York Times Connections puzzle? To me, Wordle is more of a vocabulary test, but Connections is more of a brainteaser. You're given 16 words and asked to put them into four groups that are somehow connected. Sometimes they're obvious, but game editor Wyna Liu knows how to trick you by using words that can fit into more than one group. Read on for today's Connections hints and answers.

Want more game answers? Here's the Wordle answer for today, here's the answer for Strands, and here are the answers for today's Mini Crossword.

Read more: NYT Connections Could Be the New Wordle: Our Hints and Tips

How to play Connections

Playing is easy. Winning is hard. Look at the 16 words and mentally assign them to related groups of four. Click on the four words you think go together. The groups are coded by color, though you don't know what goes where until you see the answers. The yellow group is the easiest, then green, then blue, and purple is the toughest. Look at the words carefully and think about related terms. Sometimes the connection has to do with just a part of the word. Once, four words were grouped because each started with the name of a rock band, including "Rushmore" and "Journeyman."

Hints for today's Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today's Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Glaze or layer with something.

Green group hint: Blow it up.

Blue group hint: Graph styles.

Purple group hint: Cheers!

Answers for today's Connections groups

Yellow group: Cover with a thick layer

Green group: Things that are inflated.

Blue group: Kinds of charts.

Purple group: Classic cocktail types.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today's Connections answers?

The yellow words in today's Connections

The theme is cover with a thick layer. The four answers are cake, coat, plaster and smear.

The green words in today's Connections

The theme is things that are inflated. The four answers are balloon, basketball, floatie and tire.

The blue words in today's Connections

The theme is kinds of charts. The four answers are bar, bubble, line and pie.

The purple words in today's Connections

The theme is classic cocktail types. The four answers are fizz, punch, sling and sour.