As a fellow word puzzle enthusiast, I've designed these hints to be progressive to preserve your enjoyment of the game. Please reveal them in order, starting from the top. While official hints and answers are available at the bottom, I strongly encourage you to think through each connection yourself before checking them.
ALA: A la carte seems fancy until you realize you're paying extra to have less food. Who's really winning here?
When precision isn't necessary, use these
Similar to 'approximately' in meaning
Approximately
MISS: We say we miss someone, but technically we're just hitting them with invisible emotional arrows.
Living giants in nature
Common types of trees
Trees
ROUGHLY: People who do things roughly are actually being quite precise about being imprecise.
Words that describe well-maintained appearances
Complimentary terms about condition or presentation
Sizable, as an amount
ORE: We dig up ore to make precious things, while it was perfectly precious just sitting there underground.
You might see these on an envelope
US state abbreviations
U.s. state abbreviations, per ap style guide
⚠️ Spoiler Warning!
We strongly recommend trying to solve the puzzle yourself first! Looking at the answers directly will take away the joy and satisfaction of discovering the connections on your own. If you've already given it your best shot and still want to see the solution, you can continue scrolling down - the answers are below the image.
Hint: Approximately
Hint: Trees
Hint: Sizable, as an amount
Hint: U.s. state abbreviations, per ap style guide