Note: Make sure to complete today’s NYT Connections before reading further! We’ll be getting into spoilers for today’s game pretty quickly. If you need some help to complete the grid, you can find my NYT Connections hints and answers column for today via my author page.
Hey there, Connectors! Welcome to my deeper dive into today’s Connections answers. The idea behind this is to help clear things up for anyone who isn’t sure how today’s groups fit together.
If I’ve missed any red herrings or misunderstood something, let me know via email or on Discord. I don’t typically look at X or check the comments here.
I’m going to assume that you’ve already beaten today’s game. We’re going straight into spoiler territory here. So, consider this your one and only warning.
Here are today’s NYT Connections answers explained (and any red herrings I spot) for Friday, July 10:
Today’s NYT Connections Answers Explained
Connections – Yellow Group
🟨 smartphone settings (AIRPLANE MODE, DO NOT DISTURB, HOTSPOT, LOCATION SERVICES)
AIRPLANE MODE deactivates a phone’s cellular, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, ostensibly to protect planes’ systems and instruments from interference.
DO NOT DISTURB can mute notifications and calls, though you can create exceptions.
If you activate your phone’s HOTSPOT, other devices can connect to it for Wi-Fi internet access.
If you have LOCATION SERVICES on, apps (with your permission) can see where you are. This is useful for things like getting directions to a destination. For what it’s worth, the vast majority of apps and websites do not need to know your location.
Connections – Green Group
🟩 dessert menu descriptors (DECADENT, FRESH-BAKED, MOLTEN, À LA MODE)
DECADENT means “indulgent” in this context. FRESH-BAKED is self explanatory.
In the U.S., if a dessert is À LA MODE, that means it’s served with a scoop of ice cream. There’s very little I love more than good ice cream with a MOLTEN chocolate cake with a warm liquid chocolate in the middle. Heaven.
Connections – Blue Group
🟦 ’80s synth-pop bands (DEPECHE MODE, ERASURE, NEW ORDER, PET SHOP BOYS)
The category title handles things for us here, but of course I’m gonna offer up a song from each band:
Gosh, I just love Neil Tennant’s voice.
Connections – Purple Group
🟪 starting with baseball calls (BALL GOWN, OUTKAST, SAFE MODE, STRIKE A POSE)
These refer to:
- BALL GOWN > Ball
- OUTKAST > Out
- SAFE MODE > Safe
- STRIKE A POSE > Strike
I’m still pretty new to baseball. I enjoy it a lot, but I don’t think I’m at a level where I can succinctly and clearly explain what all of those mean. Thankfully, there’s always a YouTube video:
For a recent example of how not to play baseball, here you go (I’ve been laughing over this all week):
Connections – Red Herrings
At least two of the groups had an extra contender. OUTKAST are a (brilliant) hip-hop group that could have fit with the blues in someway. SAFE MODE is a phone setting too.
There were also several fashion-related terms such as BALL GOWN, STRIKE A POSE and À LA MODE.
If you’d like to chat about today’s game of Connections and just about anything else with me and a very lovely group of people, you can do just that in our Discord community. We’d love for you to hang out with us.
I’ll be back with another set of NYT Connections hints and answers on Monday, as well as another edition of this column, all going well. You’ll be able to find both of those on my Forbes author page when the time comes (following me there helps me out too!). As for the weekend editions of my NYT Connections hints and answers column, I’m currently doing that via my newsletter, Pastimes.