You’re staring at your phone. It’s 7:15 AM. You’ve got a cup of coffee in one hand and a grid of sixteen words mocking you in the other. Specifically, you see zip, energy, and pep.
If you’ve played the NYT Connections puzzle recently, you know the feeling. It’s that "I know this, but do I really know this?" sensation. These words seem like they should be a slam dunk, right? They all mean "get up and go." But Wyna Liu, the puzzle's editor, is famous for planting red herrings that make you question your own vocabulary.
Honestly, the zip energy pep nyt combination is a classic example of how the New York Times takes simple synonyms and turns them into a psychological minefield.
What’s the Deal with Zip, Energy, and Pep?
In the world of NYT Connections, these words usually fall under a category like Vigor, Vitality, or Oomph. On May 10, 2025, for instance, they appeared together in the Blue category (medium difficulty) alongside the word Beans.
Wait, beans?
Yeah, as in "full of beans." If you're American, you might have missed that one, while British players likely found it easier. This is where the game gets "kinda" spicy. You see zip and think of a zipper or a zip code. You see energy and think of a battery or your electric bill. You see pep and maybe you think of a pep rally or—if you’re a football fan—Pep Guardiola.
But when they’re grouped together, the NYT is looking for that specific sense of "spirit."
The Hidden Traps
The reason zip energy pep nyt searches spike is usually because of the fourth word. In past puzzles, the "Vitality" group has been rounded out by:
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- Juice (as in "I've run out of juice")
- Life (the "life" of the party)
- Beans (that Britishism mentioned earlier)
- Fire (having "fire" in your belly)
If you see Zip and Pep on the board, don't just click them. Look for the crossover. In the September 13, 2024 puzzle, Pep was actually part of a different group: "Palindromes Featuring E" (Level, Pep, Refer, Tenet). That’s a total "gotcha" moment. You think you’ve found the "Energy" group, but you’re actually falling into a linguistic trap.
Why These Words Matter for Your Daily Win
The New York Times doesn't just pick words at random. They look for words with "polysemy"—that’s a fancy way of saying words with multiple meanings.
Take Zip. It can be a noun (vigor), a verb (to move fast), or a fastener on your jacket. It can even mean "zero" in sports. When you see it next to Energy, your brain locks into one meaning. The trick to beating the NYT puzzle is to consciously "unlock" the other meanings before you hit submit.
Basically, you have to play devil's advocate with your own brain.
Breaking Down the "Vigor" Category
When the NYT uses this group, they are tapping into a specific era of slang. Most of these terms feel a bit mid-century.
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- Pep: Think 1950s cheerleaders or "pep pills." It feels vintage but we still use it for "pep talks."
- Zip: This feels like it belongs in a 1990s car commercial. "It's got plenty of zip!"
- Energy: The modern, neutral anchor of the group.
If you find three of these and can't find the fourth, look for words that imply "power" or "movement" in a slangy, informal way.
How to Solve the Zip Energy Pep NYT Grid Today
If you’re currently stuck on a grid featuring these words, here is the strategy I use. It’s not foolproof, but it’ll save you from wasting your four mistakes.
Check for Palindromes first.
Like I mentioned, Pep is a palindrome. If you see it with Level or Racecar, it might not belong with Energy.
Look for "___ Up" phrases.
Sometimes these words are part of a "Words that can follow '___'" category. You can "zip up," "energy up" (rare, but possible), or "pep up." If you see Jack or Line or Root, you might be looking at "Words followed by 'Up'" instead of a "Vitality" group.
The "Zero" Red Herring.
If you see Zip alongside Nada, Love (as in tennis), or Nil, they aren't talking about energy. They're talking about nothing.
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Actionable Tips for Connections Success
- Shuffle early and often. Your brain gets "stuck" on the physical layout of the words. Shuffling breaks the mental associations you’ve built between adjacent words.
- Read the words out loud. Sometimes hearing the word helps you catch a double meaning that your eyes missed.
- Save the most obvious group for last. Often, the "easy" yellow group is actually a trap designed to steal one of your lives. If Zip, Energy, and Pep look too easy, they might be hiding a more complex connection.
- Check the "NYT Connections Bot." If you want to see how other people struggled (or succeeded), the bot provides a difficulty rating for each category. It often confirms that the "Vigor" groups are harder than they look.
The next time you see zip energy pep nyt pop up in your morning ritual, take a breath. Don't let the "pep" fool you into a hasty mistake. Look for the fourth wheel in that energy-laden wagon, and make sure Pep isn't secretly a palindrome in disguise.
To stay ahead, try keeping a small list of synonyms for "energy" in your head—words like moxie, get-up-and-go, and vim—because they are bound to show up eventually.