Looking for today's Connections answer for puzzle #250 of February 16, which is about the same difficulty as yesterday's, this puzzle from Connections Companion has a difficulty rating of 33 out of 5

We update our Connections clues and hints daily And if the hints aren't enough, you can see all four answers along with the category title and related words In addition, for those of you reading this in another time zone, I've included a reflection on yesterday's puzzle, #249

There are spoilers for Connections #250 Only those who want to know the answer to today's Connections should read on

Alternatively, 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

Now for a bigger clue The creatures of scales and fangs may lead you astray Instead, look to the comforts of home and hearth Amidst the soft embrace of feathers and the ticking of keyboards, you will find the right moment to strike

Now, for today's answer to the 250th round of Connections

Drum roll please

Today's game was fraught with potential danger at every turn, and I unwittingly fell into a snake trap right out of the gate Cobras, crocs, boas, and pythons slithered across the board, and I couldn't help but be bitten by the idea that they shared a poisonous connection The Connections board retorted to me, " Fuck you" It was a slippery blindness, but I wasn't going to let it dampen my confidence [Moccasins, crocs, slippers, and loafers were the cozy companions I needed to fall into the yellow category

As for the headdress, it stood out like a feathered headpiece at a minimalist art gala I wondered if I could combine it with boas, rubies, and python to create an ensemble that looked like a burlesque snake charmer, but ultimately decided against it The outfit would be too esoteric for this puzzle [Python was not just a snake, it was a programming language that shared bytes and bits with Java, Basic, and Ruby

I thought of pillows and their typical stuffing Boas, headdresses, pillows, and shuttlecocks proved to be more than just a soft touch; they were today's green group

Now, only the purple puzzle pieces remained: cobra, inspiration, lightning, and union Inspiration and Lighting suggest a spark A spark But how Cobra and Union would do these things was not known

Then, out of the blue, it hit me Each could strike in its own way: the Cobra with a deadly kiss, the Inspiration with a sudden jolt of creativity, the Lightning with an electric dance, and the Union with the power of collective action

With all categories neatly sorted, I leaned back It was a game that wrapped around my confidence, but not one that my comfy slippers could not soothe

It is much later in the day when you read this text According to Connections Companion, the difficulty level was 34 out of 5

For today's puzzle, I pulled out an old Britpop record The first thing I was confronted with was a strange array of words that seemed to be a mix of timekeeping and baking

The word Watch caught my eye first, and I couldn't help but think of a clock ticking away the seconds; Hourglass, Timer, also matched this theme, but unfortunately never perfectly The fourth clock was like a forgotten clock in a drawer, and it never left my mind I twisted my head a bit and put Watch, Monitor, Survey, and Track side by side

Then I thought of summer vacations, of beautiful beaches and the inevitability of sand still in my shoes after all these weeks The Hourglass again seemed to fit into this sandy category, joining the beach, the desert, and the splashing playground

The remaining buttons were "Bake," "Broil," and "Timer," which I immediately recognized as the buttons on an oven range; I hesitated, not sure if Light was part of this team, but I took the plunge And, like that perfectly timed soufflé, it did not fail

The rest of the Britpop bands were like old friends at a reunion for me Pulp, Oasis, Blur, and Suede were all musical icons of my teenage years in the UK I even saw Oasis at Loch Lomond back in the day It's too easy, game

So the four categories come together nicely Now, where did I put the Definitely Maybe cassette?