Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is tricky, as always, but the usually tough purple category felt easy to me. Read on for hints and today’s Connections answers.

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: Aha!

Green group hint: Mad skillz.

Blue group hint: Letter between O and Q.

Purple group hint: Not a lock, but…

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: “There you have it!”

Green group: Knack.

Blue group: What “P” might stand for.

Purple group: Key ____.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is “There you have it!”

The four answers are behold, presto, shazam and voilà.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is knack.

The four answers are forte, gift, strength and talent.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is what “P” might stand for.

The four answers are page, park, phosphorus and piano.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is key ____.

The four answers are chain, Largo, lime and signature.

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.

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