**All You Need to Understand About the NYT’s Trendy Word Game, *Connections***
*Connections* has swiftly gained recognition as one of the favorite word games from *The New York Times*, enchanting players with its distinct challenge of uncovering “common connections among words.” Similar to the widely popular *Wordle*, *Connections* refreshes daily at midnight, presenting a new puzzle each day that becomes progressively difficult. To assist you in overcoming today’s challenge, we’ve gathered a selection of hints, tips, and tactics to support you.
If you’re just looking for today’s answer, scroll down to the end of this piece. But if you’d like to attempt solving it on your own, stay tuned for some useful clues and guidance!
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### What Is *Connections*?
The *New York Times*’ newest daily word game has captured the attention of social media. Developed with the assistance of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, *Connections* has emerged as a remarkable addition to the *Times*’ Games section. Accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, the game invites players to connect four words that share a common thread.
Every puzzle features 16 words that can be sorted into four groups, including categories like book titles, software applications, countries, or various other themes. While some words might appear to fit into several categories, only one solution is correct.
When players successfully group four words, those words are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect guesses are counted as errors, and players can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes. To enhance playability, players can shuffle the board for better visibility of connections.
Each category is color-coded based on difficulty:
– **Yellow**: Easiest
– **Green**: Moderate
– **Blue**: Challenging
– **Purple**: Most difficult
Similar to *Wordle*, *Connections* lets players share their results on social media, adding an enjoyable, competitive aspect to the game.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections* Categories
If you’re seeking a slight push in the right direction without revealing the solution, here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow**: Intense emotions or desires
– **Green**: Sharp and pointed implements
– **Blue**: Essential information about an album
– **Purple**: Inducing a metaphorical or literal shift
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### Today’s *Connections* Categories
Need a bit more assistance? Here’s a summary of today’s categories:
– **Yellow**: Aspiration
– **Green**: Spike
– **Blue**: Details on a Recording
– **Purple**: Shift the ___
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### Prepared for the Solution?
If you’re still engaged with today’s puzzle, this is your final opportunity to turn back before we disclose the answers. Drumroll, please!
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### The Solution to Today’s *Connections* Puzzle (#587)
– **Aspiration**: DRIVE, IMPULSE, ITCH, URGE
– **Spike**: SPINE, SPUR, STICKER, THORN
– **Details on a Recording**: ALBUM, ARTIST, LABEL, TRACK
– **Shift the ___**: CORNER, PAGE, TABLES, TIDE
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Don’t be disheartened if you didn’t crack it this time—there’s always tomorrow’s puzzle to anticipate! We’ll return with more hints and solutions to aid you in sharpening your mind and conquering *Connections*.
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### Interested in More Games?
If you enjoy puzzles, visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for a diverse range of choices, including Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and beyond.
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### Related Articles
– [NYT *Connections* Sports Edition: Hints and Answers for January 18](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-january-18)
– [Today’s *Wordle* Answer](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-january-18-2025)
– [Hints and Answers for NYT *Strands*](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-16-2025)
Ready to plunge into more puzzles? Happy solving!