In this puzzle, solvers often get stuck on the purple group, which includes words ending in clothing. Words like "foxglove" and "windsock" can be misleading due to their less obvious connections to clothing, causing players to hesitate in categorizing them correctly. Another common pitfall is the blue group, where players may confuse items a juggler juggles with other objects that can be thrown or manipulated, like balls or frisbees, which are not present in the set but may come to mind. This confusion can lead to wasted time as players sift through possibilities that don’t fit the actual categories.

To distinguish real groups from plausible decoys, solvers should look for clear thematic connections among the words. For example, in the yellow group, all terms are directly associated with airport infrastructure, making it easier to identify them as belonging together. In contrast, words that seem to fit a category but do not share a common function or context should be scrutinized. Players should also consider the specificity of terms; for instance, "lawsuit" is a more formal legal term compared to the more general terms in the green group, which could help in solidifying that category.

One effective heuristic for future puzzles is to first identify any words that are part of a clear and distinct theme, as seen in the yellow and green groups. Once these are established, it becomes easier to eliminate words that don’t fit into those categories and focus on the remaining ones. Additionally, when faced with ambiguous words, it’s beneficial to think about the broader context they belong to, as this can often clarify their connections to other words.