Today’s NYT Connections puzzle might be tricky. The blue category was the easiest, I thought. 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: Honest and true.

Green group hint: Involves sports equipment.

Blue group hint: The Love Boat.

Purple group hint: Right on.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Virtuous.

Green group: Activities with multiple balls.

Blue group: Cruise lines.

Purple group: On the ____, to mean “precise.”

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is virtuous.

The four answers are fair, good, just and right.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is activities with multiple balls.

The four answers are beer pong, bingo, juggling and pool.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is cruise lines.

The four answers are Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and Viking.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is on the ____, to mean “precise.”

The four answers are dot, mark, money and nose.

Toughest Connections puzzles

We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles​ so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.

#5: Included “things you can set,” such as mood, record, table and volleyball.

#4: Included “one in a dozen,” such as egg, juror, month and rose.

#3: Included “streets on screen,” such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.

#2: Included “power ___” such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.

#1: Included “things that can run,” such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.

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. See full bio