NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Tuesday, January 21 (game #590)

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 #590) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 590 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • MINIATURE
  • OCTOPUS
  • CRACK
  • PEPPER
  • SLIGHT
  • SALT
  • DIG
  • SAND
  • DOLL
  • WHO
  • SHOVEL
  • FIGURE
  • PLOW
  • BARB
  • MODEL
  • NO

NYT Connections today (game #590) - hint #1 - group hints

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

  • YELLOW: Belittle
  • GREEN: Tiny version 
  • BLUE: Slush clearance 
  • PURPLE: Famous docs

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 #590) - hint #2 - group answers

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

  • YELLOW: PUTDOWN
  • GREEN: SMALL LIKENESS 
  • BLUE: USED TO CLEAR SNOW 
  • PURPLE: DOCTORS IN POP CULTURE

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

NYT Connections today (game #590) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 590 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #590, are…

  • YELLOW: PUTDOWN BARB, CRACK, DIG, SLIGHT
  • GREEN: SMALL LIKENESS DOLL, FIGURE, MINIATURE, MODEL
  • BLUE: USED TO CLEAR SNOW PLOW, SALT, SAND, SHOVEL
  • PURPLE: DOCTORS IN POP CULTURE NO, OCTOPUS, PEPPER, WHO

  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

The second I cast eyes upon WHO and NO I knew that we were looking for DOCTORS IN POP CULTURE. PEPPER was an easy spot (easier than drinking it, anyway) but the fourth was trickier, not being a fan of the whole Marvel multiverse – but OCTOPUS sort of sounded like a villain of some kind.

Having got the Purple group first I thought that would make the Yellow group easier to solve; I came close to completing THINGS TO CLEAR SNOW, but instead found all four PUTDOWN words and the green SMALL LIKENESS quartet.

How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.


Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 20 January, game #589)

  • YELLOW: TAKE ON, AS A RESPONSIBILITY ASSUME, BEAR, HANDLE, SHOULDER
  • GREEN: CORNERS ANGLE, BEND, CROOK, ELBOW
  • PURPLE: SHEET BALANCE, CHEAT, COOKIE, FITTED
  • BLUE: ASSOCIATED WITH POPEYE ANCHOR, FOREARM, PIPE, SPINACH

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.

TOPICS
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.

With contributions from

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Read more
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Monday, January 20 (game #589)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Wednesday, January 22 (game #591)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Friday, January 3 (game #572)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Tuesday, January 28 (game #597)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Sunday, January 5 (game #574)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Tuesday, January 7 (game #576)
Latest in Gaming
inZOI.
inZOI early access is the most disappointed I’ve been with a game in years
A screenshot from The First Berserker: Khazan
I got absolutely destroyed by The First Berserker: Khazan’s bosses for hours on end and loved every second of it
A screenshot from Indiana Jones and the Great Circle showing Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle finally gets PS5 release date and I can't wait to don the fedora and crack the whip
A Minecraft sheep.
Minecraft developer rejects generative AI, 'it's important that it makes us feel happy to create as humans'
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Tuesday, March 25 (game #653)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Monday, March 24 (game #652)
Latest in News
Zendesk Relate 2025
Zendesk Relate 2025 - everything you need to know as the event unfolds
Disney Plus logo with popcorn
You can finally tell Disney+ to stop bugging you about that terrible Marvel show you regret starting
Google Gemini AI
Gemini can now see your screen and judge your tabs
Girl wearing Meta Quest 3 headset interacting with a jungle playset
Latest Meta Quest 3 software beta teases a major design overhaul and VR screen sharing – and I need these updates now
Philips Hue
Philips Hue might be working on a video doorbell, and according to a new report, we just got our first look at it
Microsoft
"Another pair of eyes" - Microsoft launches all-new Security Copilot Agents to give security teams the upper hand