"Connections" February 3: Hints and answers for game #603

If you're starting your week with a Connections puzzle and your mind has hit a blank, never fear, you're in the right place to get some help.

Newsweek has compiled some hints and tips to help you complete the puzzle. It has also listed the answers for if you really can't get it—so scroll with caution to avoid revealing the solution.

Since its launch in The New York Times in June 2023, Connections has gained a massive following. It is now the newspaper's second most popular game after Wordle.

But first, let's recap on how to play.

How To Play Connections

In Connections, players must group 16 words into four categories based on their relationships. Each group is coded by color to indicate difficulty: yellow for the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple for more challenging sets.

The puzzles often incorporate homophones, wordplay, and other clever twists, ensuring the answers are rarely straightforward. Players can use the shuffle button to mix up the words on the screen if they get stuck.

For example, in Sunday's puzzle, the yellow category was "dejected" and the words were "blue, down, hangdog and sorry."

The purple category was "words after 'k,'" and the words were "mart, pop, street and swiss."

Wyna Liu, who created Connections, offered tips for tackling the game in an interview with Newsweek.

"My top advice is to hold off on guessing as long as you can," Liu said. "You might spot a clear category and think you see five words that fit, but don't try guessing the four until you're sure which one doesn't belong. Jumping in too soon can cost you a turn."

Liu also warned against what she calls "rage solving," a method she confessed to using herself on occasion.

Connections #603 Clues for Monday, February 3

Yellow: Expressive words that are often said after someone has been insulted.

Green: Different ways to describe a small amount of something.

Blue: Different ways to use a piece of fruit—usually in a drink.

Purple: Other ways to say "messing up."

Connections #603 Answers for Monday, February 3

Yellow Category: Comment After An Insult

Yellow Words: Burn, Ouch, Snap, Zing

Green Category: Tiny Amount, With "A"

Green Words: Bit, Little, Mite, Tad

Blue Category: Bit Of Citrus Garnish

Blue Words: Slice, Twist, Wedge, Zest

Purple Category: Bungle, With "Up"

Purple Words: Foul, Loose, Muck, Screw

Did you get it right? A new Connections puzzle drops every day at midnight your local time zone—Newsweek will be back to help you with each one.

Can't wait for the next Connections game to drop? Other popular word games, like Wordscapes and Spellspire, are fun and challenging too.