**Connections: The Latest Word Game Phenomenon from The New York Times**
*Connections*, the latest word game from *The New York Times*, has swiftly garnered the interest of puzzle fans all around. This captivating game invites players to discover “common ties among words.” Like the immensely popular *Wordle*, *Connections* refreshes daily at midnight, providing a new puzzle each day that becomes more challenging as the week progresses. If you find yourself having a hard time, we have hints and tactics to assist you—or feel free to jump ahead for today’s solution.
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### What is *Connections*?
*The New York Times* has launched yet another irresistible daily word game, quickly becoming a sensation on social media. Developed with the input of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, *Connections* challenges players to cluster four words that are thematically related. The game is available for play on both web browsers and mobile platforms.
Each puzzle features 16 words that need to be categorized into four unique groups. These categories may include anything from book titles to software names, country titles, and beyond. While it might seem that multiple words could be grouped together, only one precise combination is accurate.
When players successfully identify all four words in a category, those words are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect guesses are counted as mistakes, with players allowed a maximum of four mistakes per game. For added convenience, players can shuffle the board to more easily identify connections. The categories are color-coded based on difficulty: yellow (easiest), then green, blue, and purple. Similar to *Wordle*, *Connections* enables players to share their scores on social media.
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### Tips for Today’s *Connections* Puzzle
Need a little push in the right direction? Here are some clues for today’s categories without revealing the answers:
– **Yellow:** Legendary Creatures
– **Green:** Standard sections in an email application
– **Blue:** Fizzy drinks made from citrus
– **Purple:** Terms that resemble animal sounds
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### Today’s *Connections* Categories
If you’re in need of extra assistance, here are the precise categories for today’s puzzle:
– **Yellow:** Mythical Entities
– **Green:** Mail Folders
– **Blue:** Citrus Beverages
– **Purple:** Animal Sound-Alikes
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### Today’s *Connections* Solution
Ready for the grand unveiling? If you’re still piecing together the puzzle, this is your final chance to look away before we disclose the answers. Drumroll, please!
The solution to *Connections* #551 is:
– **Mythical Entities:** DRAGON, GIANT, PIXIE, TROLL
– **Mail Folders:** DRAFTS, SENT, SPAM, TRASH
– **Citrus Beverages:** CRUSH, SPRITE, SQUIRT, STARRY
– **Animal Sound-Alikes:** BORE, LINKS, PHISH, TOWED
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### No Need to Stress if You Missed It
If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, don’t feel disheartened! A new *Connections* puzzle will be released tomorrow, and we will be here with additional hints and tricks to help you out.
Want more puzzles? Explore Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and an array of others. And if you’re also playing *Wordle* or *Strands*, we’ve got answers and hints for those as well.
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the answer.](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-hint-answer-today-december-12)
Happy puzzling!