NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Friday, January 17 (game #586)

NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
(Image credit: New York Times)

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #586) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 586 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • HIT
  • OPERA
  • BANGER
  • ROSEBUD
  • PEPPERONI
  • BOP
  • EDGE
  • LINK
  • TAP
  • CONTRABASS
  • BRAT
  • SAFARI
  • AUTOHARP
  • CHROME
  • KNOCK
  • SAUSAGE

NYT Connections today (game #586) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: Hot dog
  • GREEN: Whack 
  • BLUE: View the internet
  • PURPLE: Brews at the end

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #586) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: FRANKFURTER
  • GREEN: STRIKE 
  • BLUE: WEB BROWSERS 
  • PURPLE: ENDING WITH BEER BRANDS 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #586) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 586 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #586, are…

  • YELLOW: FRANKFURTER BANGER, BRAT, LINK, SAUSAGE
  • GREEN: STRIKE BOP, HIT, KNOCK, TAP
  • BLUE: WEB BROWSERS CHROME, EDGE, OPERA, SAFARI
  • PURPLE: ENDING WITH BEER BRANDS AUTOHARP, CONTRABASS, PEPPERONI, ROSEBUD

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 1 mistake

Today’s Connections reminded me of a toy my daughters had called BOP It!

It was one of those toys that was supposed to teach reaction speed and as an added bonus release some pent-up aggression at the unfairness of the world, as you were given licence to bop, twist, thump and hit this lump of white plastic.

However, like most toys it also became annoying pretty quickly. I can still hear the cartoon voice in my head now, saying “bop it!”, “bop it!” relentlessly for hours on end. Sadly, Bop It! suffered an untimely death after being trod on by, err, me. Sorry girls.

Meanwhile, top prize today if you didn’t fall into the PEPPERONI trap, of thinking that it was linked with BRAT, SAUSAGE and BANGER.


Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 16 January, game #585)

  • YELLOW: BUYING AND SELLING BUSINESS, COMMERCE, MARKET, TRADE
  • GREEN: INSTALLED ON A WALL BASEBOARD, OUTLET, SCONCE, SWITCH
  • BLUE: SPY AGENT, ASSET, MOLE, PLANT
  • PURPLE: RAT GYM, MALL, PACK, RUG

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

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Contributor

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.

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