"connect the dots" meaning in English

See connect the dots in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Verb

Forms: connects the dots [present, singular, third-person], connecting the dots [participle, present], connected the dots [participle, past], connected the dots [past]
Etymology: From the children's pencil and paper puzzle “Connect The Dots”, also known as “Join The Dots”. Head templates: {{en-verb|*}} connect the dots (third-person singular simple present connects the dots, present participle connecting the dots, simple past and past participle connected the dots)
  1. (literally) To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific order so that the joining lines form a picture. Tags: literally Synonyms: join the dots Related terms: dot to dot, put two and two together Translations: päästä jäljille (Finnish), relier les points (French), levonja a következtetést (Hungarian), łączyć kropki [imperfective] (Polish), połączyć kropki [perfective] (Polish), ligar os pontos (Portuguese), unir los puntos (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-connect_the_dots-en-verb-V9LQNHjF Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Spanish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 76 24 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 81 19 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 83 17 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 89 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 78 22 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 77 23 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 74 26 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 78 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 84 16
  2. (by extension, idiomatic) To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of a situation. Tags: broadly, idiomatic
    Sense id: en-connect_the_dots-en-verb-yjPLhplH

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_text": "From the children's pencil and paper puzzle “Connect The Dots”, also known as “Join The Dots”.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "connects the dots",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "connecting the dots",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "connected the dots",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "connected the dots",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "connect the dots (third-person singular simple present connects the dots, present participle connecting the dots, simple past and past participle connected the dots)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "81 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "78 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "78 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "84 16",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1991, Roberta Collier, The Little Animal Follow-The-Dots Coloring Book, Courier Corporation, →ISBN, page 3:",
          "text": "To connect the dots, use a pen or pencil and draw a line from dot 1 to dot 2, from dot 2 to dot 3 and so on until all the dots are connected. You can try to guess what kind of animal is shown in the picture before you connect the dots.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific order so that the joining lines form a picture."
      ],
      "id": "en-connect_the_dots-en-verb-V9LQNHjF",
      "links": [
        [
          "puzzle",
          "puzzle"
        ],
        [
          "paper",
          "paper"
        ],
        [
          "order",
          "order"
        ],
        [
          "join",
          "join"
        ],
        [
          "line",
          "line"
        ],
        [
          "picture",
          "picture"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific order so that the joining lines form a picture."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "word": "dot to dot"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "word": "put two and two together"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "word": "join the dots"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "word": "päästä jäljille"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "word": "relier les points"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "word": "levonja a következtetést"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "tags": [
            "imperfective"
          ],
          "word": "łączyć kropki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "tags": [
            "perfective"
          ],
          "word": "połączyć kropki"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "word": "ligar os pontos"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "80 20",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "word": "unir los puntos"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2003 September 25, Thomas L. Friedman, quoting Clyde Prestowitz, “Connect The Dots”, in New York Times:",
          "text": "If only the Bush team connected the dots, it would see what a nutty war on terrorism it is fighting, explains Mr. Prestowitz.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 July 9, AP, quoting Chris Gloninger, “‘You should have seen this note’: US meteorologists harassed for reporting on climate crisis”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:",
          "text": "“I started just connecting the dots between extreme weather and climate change, and then the volume of pushback started to increase quite dramatically,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of a situation."
      ],
      "id": "en-connect_the_dots-en-verb-yjPLhplH",
      "links": [
        [
          "connection",
          "connection"
        ],
        [
          "mind",
          "mind"
        ],
        [
          "in order to",
          "in order to"
        ],
        [
          "holistic",
          "holistic"
        ],
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, idiomatic) To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of a situation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "connect the dots"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English verbs",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the children's pencil and paper puzzle “Connect The Dots”, also known as “Join The Dots”.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "connects the dots",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "connecting the dots",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "connected the dots",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "connected the dots",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*"
      },
      "expansion": "connect the dots (third-person singular simple present connects the dots, present participle connecting the dots, simple past and past participle connected the dots)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "dot to dot"
    },
    {
      "word": "put two and two together"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1991, Roberta Collier, The Little Animal Follow-The-Dots Coloring Book, Courier Corporation, →ISBN, page 3:",
          "text": "To connect the dots, use a pen or pencil and draw a line from dot 1 to dot 2, from dot 2 to dot 3 and so on until all the dots are connected. You can try to guess what kind of animal is shown in the picture before you connect the dots.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific order so that the joining lines form a picture."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "puzzle",
          "puzzle"
        ],
        [
          "paper",
          "paper"
        ],
        [
          "order",
          "order"
        ],
        [
          "join",
          "join"
        ],
        [
          "line",
          "line"
        ],
        [
          "picture",
          "picture"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literally) To attempt to complete a puzzle in which dots on a paper must be connected in a specific order so that the joining lines form a picture."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "literally"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English idioms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2003 September 25, Thomas L. Friedman, quoting Clyde Prestowitz, “Connect The Dots”, in New York Times:",
          "text": "If only the Bush team connected the dots, it would see what a nutty war on terrorism it is fighting, explains Mr. Prestowitz.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 July 9, AP, quoting Chris Gloninger, “‘You should have seen this note’: US meteorologists harassed for reporting on climate crisis”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:",
          "text": "“I started just connecting the dots between extreme weather and climate change, and then the volume of pushback started to increase quite dramatically,” he said in an interview with the Associated Press.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of a situation."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "connection",
          "connection"
        ],
        [
          "mind",
          "mind"
        ],
        [
          "in order to",
          "in order to"
        ],
        [
          "holistic",
          "holistic"
        ],
        [
          "understanding",
          "understanding"
        ],
        [
          "situation",
          "situation"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(by extension, idiomatic) To make connections in one's mind, in order to arrive at a more holistic understanding of a situation."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "broadly",
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "join the dots"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "word": "päästä jäljille"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "word": "relier les points"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "word": "levonja a következtetést"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "tags": [
        "imperfective"
      ],
      "word": "łączyć kropki"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "tags": [
        "perfective"
      ],
      "word": "połączyć kropki"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "word": "ligar os pontos"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "word": "unir los puntos"
    }
  ],
  "word": "connect the dots"
}

Download raw JSONL data for connect the dots meaning in English (3.9kB)

{
  "called_from": "page/2517",
  "msg": "UNIMPLEMENTED parse_translation_template: trans-top-see {1: \"to make connections in one's mind, arriving at a more holistic understanding of a situation\", 2: 'put two and two together'}",
  "path": [
    "connect the dots",
    "Template:trans-top-see",
    "TEMPLATE_FN"
  ],
  "section": "English",
  "subsection": "verb",
  "title": "connect the dots",
  "trace": ""
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (f889f65 and 8fbd9e8). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.