54 answer guides
Word Connections & Shared Phrases
Pinpoint puzzles built around a word that comes before, after, or completes every clue. Each guide labels its editing status and explains the clue connections.
How to test this connection
Write the same connector before and after each clue. Keep its position consistent. A phrase can be idiomatic, but it must be a normal expression, not a phrase invented to rescue the guess.
A common wrong turn
Do not classify the set by one clue's subject. A breadcrumb trail is about the shared word trail, not food; a paper trail need not be a walking route.
A worked comparison
In #750, false trail, paper trail, nature trail, campaign trail and breadcrumb trail use one noun across different meanings. The variety is evidence for a word connection.
Read the example and its clue evidenceWords that come after “ground”
Rules · Control · Water · Floor · -breaking (new and innovative)
Read evidenceTerms that come after “stone”
Cold · Age · Mason · Henge · ’s throw away
Read evidenceWords that come before “copy”
Hard · Digital · Advance · Backup · Carbon (the second c of cc)
Read evidenceWords that come before “stream”
Jet · Gulf · Blood · Live (on Twitch) · Swimming up-
Read evidenceWords that come after “close”
Friends · Quarters · Attention · To home · Call / shave (near miss)
Read evidenceWords that come after “rip”
Off · Cord · Tide · To pieces · -Roaring success
Read evidenceThings you can “walk”
The dog · The streets · The line · The plank · A tightrope (take no false steps!)
Read evidenceWords that come before “ten”
Hang · Perfect · Top · Count to · Nine times out of
Read evidenceWords that come before “breaker”
Code · Circuit · Ice · Deal · Tie (used to avoid a draw)
Read evidenceWords that come after “common”
Ground · Thread · Sense · Denominator · Knowledge (most people know it!)
Read evidenceWords that come before “share”
Fair · Market · Mind · Earnings per · The lion’s (the largest part)
Read evidenceWords that come after “mixed”
Media · Bag · Blessing · Metaphor · Messages (contradictory ideas)
Read evidenceWords that come before “source”
Power · Open · Reliable · Anonymous · Go straight to the
Read evidenceWords that come after “go” in common sayings
Nuts · Bananas · Cold turkey · Viral · The extra mile
Read evidenceWords that come before “coffee”
Robusta · Arabica · Cold brew · Instant · Decaf
Read evidenceWords that come before “drop”
Rain · Tear · Name · Mic · Drag and
Read evidenceWords that come after “perfect”
Ten · Timing · Stranger · Storm · Example (no way to show better)
Read evidenceWords that come before “age”
Iron · Golden · Middle · Voting · Coming of
Read evidenceWords that come before “car”
Race · Cable · Muscle · Rental · Plug-in hybrid
Read evidenceThings associated with tracks
Trains · Music albums · Adjustable ceiling lights · Olympic stadiums for running · Mud after animals walk in it
Read evidenceWords that come before “way”
Make · Wrong · Right of · Milky · Look the other
Read evidenceAll associated with poles
Tents · Skiers · Barber shops · Olympic vaulters · Flags (as attached here: 🏁)
Read evidenceWords that come after “free”
Will · Trade · Rein · Speech · As a bird
Read evidenceThings you might “shoot”
A video · A glance · The messenger · Fish in a barrel · Oneself in the foot
Read evidenceWords that come before “frame”
Freeze · Time · Bed · Door · Picture (🖼️)
Read evidenceWords that can be followed by “drop”
Back · Eye · Eaves · Rain · Drag-and-
Read evidencePhrases that begin with “off”
Balance · Limits · The Wall · The Record · The Cuff
Read evidenceWords that come after “safety”!
First · Pin · Net · Valve · In numbers
Read evidenceWords that come before “price”
Fair · Asking · Market · Sale · Name your
Read evidenceDifferent meanings of “bug”
Cold · Annoy · Listening device · Software glitch · Insect
Read evidenceWords that come after “front”
Runner · Line · Desk · Teeth · Row seat
Read evidenceWords that come before "boat"
Life · Show · Row · Tug · Whatever floats your
Read evidenceWords that come after "hair"
Spray · Style · Dryer · Raising · Follicle
Read evidenceWords that come before "cream"
Ice · Cold · Whipped · Shaving · Cookies and
Read evidenceDifferent meanings of "clip"
A rapid pace · Hit at an angle · Small metal fastener for paper · Cut with scissors · Short segment of a film
Read evidenceWords that come after "united"
Front · Kingdom · Nations · States (🎆 Happy 250th! 🎇) · We stand, divided we fall
Read evidenceWords that come before "court"
Supreme · Food · Tennis · Contempt of · The ball is in your
Read evidenceWords that come after "save" (in common sayings)
Face · Your breath · The day · Someone's skin · For a rainy day
Read evidenceWords that come before "field"
Wheat · Force · Magnetic · Track and · Level playing
Read evidenceWords That Come After "Green"
Tea · Salad · Revolution · Light · With envy
Read evidenceWords that come before "spot"
Bright · Blind · Sweet · Hits the · X marks the
Read evidenceDifferent meanings of "run"
Streak · Operate · Campaign (for office) · Scoring unit (cricket+baseball) · Move swiftly on foot
Read evidenceWords that come before "order"
Natural · Standing · Purchase · Pecking · Out of
Read evidenceThings you can "keep"
Score · A secret · The peace · One's distance · An open mind
Read evidenceWords that come before "class"
First · Weight · Fitness · Business · World- (the very best)
Read evidenceWords that come before "station"
Space · Power · Police · TV · Bus
Read evidenceWords that come before "flag"
White · Pirate · National · Checkered · Capture the
Read evidenceWords that come before "back"
Paper · Cut · Feed · Flash · Hump (🐋)
Read evidenceWords that come after "door"
Way · Mat · Bell · Jamb · Knob
Read evidenceWords that come before 'pool'
Car · Dating · Jury · Gene · Swimming
Read evidenceWords that come before "control"
Motor · Damage · Quality · Remote · Air traffic
Read evidenceTypes of trail
False · Paper · Nature · Campaign · Breadcrumb (from Hansel & Gretel)
Read evidenceWords that come before "cut"
Clear · Short · Tax · Director's · Hair
Read evidenceWords that come after "uni"
Corn · Form · Cycle · Verse · Lateral
Read evidence