Looking for today's Connections answer for puzzle #523 on November 15, a little harder than yesterday's puzzle, the Connections Companion has a difficulty level of 3 out of 5.

We update our Connections clues and hints daily. And if the hints aren't enough for you, below you will find 4 answers, category names, 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 522.

Connection #523 contains a spoiler. Only those who want to know the answer to today's connection 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 solve the groupings, here are each theme in order of difficulty:

These hints should at least give you an idea of how to find the answer to today's connection. If not, please continue reading for larger hints. Also, if you just want the answer, scroll down further.

Here's a bigger hint: remember the grammar, start up the jug band, fix the “cracks,” and don't waste time.

Now, what's the answer to today's game #523 Connection?

Drum roll please.

Maybe it's because it's Friday, or maybe it's just the weather this week, but today's puzzle is pretty cold.

I write for a living, so phrases, sentences, and words stuck as grammar, not just elements of a sentence. Nothing else fit the bill, so the letter was put in the green group.

From there I nicked holes, leaks, and perforations and took strikes on the yellow “cracks” instead of the correct cracks. Ugh. None of the first three words are cracks. Neither is nick, but they are close to the meaning of the other three. Also, when searching for the exact definition, don't Google “fissure” without pulling out a dictionary.

Anyway, jugs, pipes, recorders, and whistles stuck out to me as what you play.

That left the nick of time, passage of time, sands of time, and waste of time for the final fill. Today's puzzle felt like a waste of time. There was no joy. Some days are like that.

Are you reading this late in the day? According to Connections Companion, the difficulty was 2.6 out of 5.

When I saw Jam and Rock, it led to a shred and groove to passionately play music.

I noticed that the tax and tip were close together and the total was not that far apart, which pointed to a receipt. I wrapped it up so the signature stood out.

I was stuck on sap for a while, but I was thinking more of a sugary substance, not a consuming definition. But with only eight words left, it was easy to see sugar cubes, grains, powders, and syrups as forms of sugar.

So today's puzzle was solved with drain, empty, exhaust, and sap as depleting words.