NYT Connections Hints for Today (December 11, 2024) - #549

It’s simple: if you want to elevate your NYT Connections game, our innovative and interactive tool is the answer. It can serve as a companion to your efforts rather than a complete takeover, offering daily updated hints and answers for the NYT Connections game.

• Not sure whether a particular word belongs to a group? Then use our hints at the top – click on the word and reveal its color group.
• Want a bigger hint? Then click on the group topics list below the grid to see what each of the topics is.
• And if you’re feeling a little stuck? Hit the “Reveal” button to uncover a detailed list of answers and group topics.

Our NYT Connections hints will set you on the path to becoming an NYT Connections maestro! After all, the more you learn, the more you’ll know later. There’s no perfect without some very good practice.

So what are you waiting for? Embark on a word-finding journey with our NYT Connections hints and answers! Explore past puzzle answers, uncover hints, and access answers to enhance your gaming experience. Join the community, share your passion, and become a wordplay champion in no time.

If you’re into the thrill of wordplay, then NYT Connections is bound to be your next obsession. Created by The New York Times’ puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the beta version of the game was released in June 2023 and included in The New York Times Games app only two months after. Its rise was meteoric, rapidly becoming the second-most-played game published by NYT, only behind Wordle.

NYT Connections popularity is well deserved. This engaging word game challenges you to group words based on common themes. From book titles to software to country names, the possibilities are endless. You’ll find yourself making connections between words you never thought possible, like “ant” and “island,” or “mark” and “sucker.” There’s a connection there, we promise!

If you’re interested in dipping your toes into the NYT’s Connections game, you can play it daily on either your web browser or your mobile device, and share your victories on social media. And with our help, well — there’s bound to be many victories to share!

In every puzzle, you’re presented with 16 words to categorize into four themed groups. Remember, while multiple words may seem connected, there’s only one correct grouping! With each successful grouping, the words disappear from the board. That’s right — if you’re seeing your words disappear, you’re on the right track.

But be cautious — you're allowed only four mistakes before it's game over! Utilize the board shuffle feature and color-coded difficulty levels to aid in your gameplay when needed. And, hey, if all else fails — you’ve also got our NYT Connections hints to help you out, right?

There are four groups you need to organize your words into. They are handily color-coded, ranging from yellow to purple.

• Yellow is typically the most straightforward category, where the connection between the words is the most obvious. See some examples of yellow groups:

• • August 19, 2024 #435

    MUSIC GENRES:

    BLUES, COUNTRY, FOLK, ROCK

  • March 12, 2024 #276

    SECTION:

    CLASS, DIVISION, RANK, TIER

  • October 03, 2023 #114

    LONG-HAIRED ANIMALS:

    AFGHAN, ALPACA, ANGORA, YAK

  • June 27, 2023 #16

    COFFEE DRINKS:

    AMERICANO, CAPPUCCINO, ESPRESSO, LATTE

• Green is moderately challenging, with a connection that is slightly less obvious but still recognizable without extensive thought. See some examples of green groups:

• • June 22, 2024 #378

    KINDS OF GOLF CLUBS:

    DRIVER, IRON, WEDGE, WOOD

  • January 07, 2024 #210

    KINDS OF EXAMS:

    BAR, FINAL, ORAL, PHYSICAL

  • November 30, 2023 #172

    HITCHCOCK MOVIES:

    BIRDS, NOTORIOUS, REBECCA, ROPE

  • August 13, 2023 #63

    SLANG FOR ZERO:

    JACK, NADA, NOTHING, SQUAT

• Blue is more difficult to identify, often requiring more abstract thinking or knowledge of less common associations. See some examples of blue groups:

• • August 18, 2024 #434

    CANDY PIECES:

    KISS, NERD, RUNT, WHOPPER

  • April 06, 2024 #301

    COLLECTION:

    ARRAY, BATTERY, SET, SERIES

  • February 25, 2024 #259

    FENCING EQUIPMENT:

    FOIL, GLOVE, JACKET, MASK

  • September 13, 2023 #94

    ANAGRAMS:

    NOPE, OPEN, PEON, PONE

• Purple is the hardest group to identify. The connection here is usually more obscure, relying on niche knowledge, tricky word associations, or less intuitive links between the words. See some examples of purple groups:

• • July 02, 2024 #388

    ___ GAME:

    ARCADE, BLAME, NUMBERS, SQUID

  • June 18, 2024 #374

    FIRST WORD IN BOND MOVIE TITLES:

    CASINO, DIAMONDS, QUANTUM, TOMORROW

  • May 13, 2024 #338

    HOMOPHONES OF MUSICALS:

    GREECE, HARE, KATZ, MAIM

  • June 22, 2023 #11

    SPICE GIRLS:

    BABY, GINGER, POSH, SCARY

As you can gather from the examples above, NYT Connections cannot only be solved with linguistic prowess but you often need to be on top of your trivia game. Plus, the editors often include words that seem like they could have a connection to throw players off their game.

Here are some tips and tricks to help you solve NYT Connections puzzles more effectively:

Look for the Obvious Groups First (Yellow and Green)

Start with the easiest connections, these are usually the most straightforward categories. Scan for synonyms or similar items: Sometimes connections are made up of obvious relationships like synonyms, homophones, or word forms.

Use Process of Elimination

Once you've solved an easier group, those words will be removed from the grid. The remaining words may seem less random and give clues to other groups. Narrow down tricky groups by focusing on what’s left and seeing if they share more abstract traits.

Watch Out for Red Herrings

Beware of misleading overlaps. Some words may seem to fit into multiple categories, like "CRASH" fitting into both "car accidents" and "loud noises". Try multiple ideas, but keep in mind you only have four mistakes. Focus on the less obvious words after the easiest groups are cleared.

Think Abstractly or Creatively

Many groups have more abstract relationships (e.g., "things that spin" or "words with double meanings"). Keep your mind open to less tangible connections. Connections may also involve wordplay, including homophones, abbreviations, or puns. For example, “SLIP” and “SNEAK” may refer to types of shoes.

Put Your Cultural Knowledge to Use

Think about themes like time periods, shapes, word endings, or even cultural references like games, movies, musical genres, sports, geography, science, or historical events.

Group by Word Type

Try grouping words by their part of speech. For example, all verbs (e.g., run, jump, swim) might form a group. Identify plural or singular forms and group similar grammatical forms together.

Look for Shared Roots or Affixes

Some groups may be tied together by shared prefixes and suffixes like “-tion,” “-able,” or “re-.” This can help identify a connection between words that otherwise seem unrelated.

Fill in the Blank

Look for words that can form familiar phrases or compound words by adding the same word before or after them. For example, if you see "JUICE," "ORCHARD," "CIDER," and "SAUCE," think of "APPLE __." Try both directions to find hidden connections, focusing on common categories like food ("__ PEPPER") or places ("NEW __"). This quick check often reveals less obvious groupings and helps solve the most challenging parts of the puzzle.

Stay Calm and Methodical

Avoid guessing wildly. You only have four chances to make mistakes. If you start seeing connections that seem plausible, try grouping them before submitting. This is a game that rewards both observation and patience. Don’t rush through your guesses!

Use Our NYT Connections Hints

If there’s a word that could belong with a couple others, use our tool to identify which color group it belongs to. Or if you’re completely stuck, reveal the topic of one of the groups – this will open up the grid for you.

Along with our hints for tackling NYT Connections, as well as a comprehensive list of past NYT Connections answers, WordFinder has a whole suite of handy tools to help you out with other NYT puzzles. These include several Wordle helpers like our Wordle solver, our human-written Wordle hints and our archive of Wordle answers, but also daily Spelling Bee answers and a powerful Crossword solver. And, for the cruciverbalists among you, we have Crossword Helper which boasts a hub dedicated to The New York Times’ crosswords, with daily clues and answers.