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 #573) - today's words
Today's NYT Connections words are…
- CHECK
- CLOCK
- CRUMPLE
- CROSS
- HOOK
- TICK
- BUCKLE
- ANT
- BALL
- STRIKE
- MELTING
- WAD
- SNAP
- SCRUNCH
- BRANCH
- CLIP
NYT Connections today (game #573) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Ready for the trash
- GREEN: Belt up
- BLUE: All done
- PURPLE: Classic Salvador
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 #573) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: CRUSH INTO A COMPACT SHAPE
- GREEN: FASTENERS
- BLUE: MARK AS COMPLETED
- PURPLE: DEPICTED IN DALÍ'S "THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY"
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #573) - the answers
The answers to today's Connections, game #573, are…
- YELLOW: CRUSH INTO A COMPACT SHAPE BALL, CRUMPLE, SCRUNCH, WAD
- GREEN: FASTENERS BUCKLE, CLIP, HOOK, SNAP
- BLUE: MARK AS COMPLETED CHECK, CROSS, STRIKE, TICK
- PURPLE: DEPICTED IN DALÍ'S "THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY" ANT, BRANCH, CLOCK, MELTING
- My rating: Hard
- My score: 3 mistakes
Because it’s early January I am big into making to-do lists at the moment, so I quickly got the blue group MARK AS COMPLETED.
Incidentally, when you write a to-do list do you sometimes add something you’ve already done so that you can cross it off? Or is that just me?
Anyway, the other three groups were less straightforward. I went down a blind alley thinking SNAP, CRUMPLE, BUCKLE were to do with someone giving up, which I nearly did before earning myself a “phew!” after I thought belts could be the connecting theme for FASTENERS.
Meanwhile, we could have played Connections until next New Year’s Ever before I got today’s Purple foursome. Fez’s off and flamboyant mustaches twizzled to anyone who got DEPICTED IN DALÍ'S "THE PERSISTENCE OF MEMORY".
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Friday, 3 January, game #572)
- YELLOW: PARTS OF A FOOT ARCH, BALL, HEEL, SOLE
- GREEN: ONE DOLLAR BUCK, CLAM, SINGLE, SMACKER
- BLUE: KINDS OF MUSHROOMS BUTTON, MOREL, OYSTER, TRUMPET
- PURPLE: POT BELLY, HOLE, LUCK, STICKER
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.
