Looking for today's Connections answer for puzzle #420 on August 4, a little easier than yesterday's answer, this puzzle from Connections Companion has a difficulty rating of 2.6 out of 5.

We update our Connections clues and hints daily. And if the hints aren't enough, you can see all four solutions along with the category title and related words. In addition, for those of you reading this in a different time zone, I have included a reflection on yesterday's puzzle, #419.

Connection #420 contains a spoiler. Only read this if you want to know the answer to today's connection.

Or see our NYT Connections How to Play Guide for tips on how to solve the puzzle without our help.

While today's wordle solution guide recommends the best wordle starting words as a strategy, the Connections solution depends on identifying the categories that are connected from the 16 words. The difficulty of each category is represented by a color, with yellow being the easiest grouping and purple the most difficult. Hints are helpful as the answer is displayed after four wrong guesses.

If you need a hint to help you solve the groupings, here are each theme in order of difficulty:

If you read these hints, you should at least find the answer to today's connection. If not, please continue reading for larger hints. Also, if you only want the answer, scroll down further.

There is a bigger clue. Today's puzzle is a double, letter, double meaning, anything goes.

Now, what is the answer to today's game #420 Connection?

Drum roll please.

I found the blue category first.

Then the purple category, which was easy since I grew up in a coastal area. Over the years I have heard all kinds of nicknames for the ocean.

Next was yellow, which was quickly filled in when I started looking for other words that would fit my buddy.

Green then became a memorized fill.

Are you reading this late in the day? According to Connections Companion, the difficulty level was 3 out of 5.

As outgoing President Biden would say, malarkey-on was in his head. With three of the four answers around the corner, I turned first to the blue category and its nonsense. Tripe was the next most likely edible organ category after stomach and tongue, so I had to worry, but I'm glad I did.

Yellow filled in quickly from there, with high, kick, rush, and thrill.

I could have snagged green or purple here, but I saw bear and stomach while snagging the other two. But I saw the bear and stomach between the other two snags, so I needed a stand and take for tolerance.

The purple category was cute with heels, mouse, remote control, and clicking tongue. It may have had something to do with the awful trailer for the recently released "Wicked," but it put me in the frame of mind of "The Wizard of Oz."