**Connections: The New York Times’ Engaging Word Game**
*Connections* has swiftly emerged as one of the most cherished word games from *The New York Times*, enthralling players with its distinctive challenge of discovering “shared themes among words.” Just like the popular game *Wordle*, *Connections* resets daily at midnight, presenting a new puzzle that becomes increasingly complex. If you’re feeling stuck, we have hints and strategies to assist you—or you can jump ahead to uncover today’s solution.
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### What is *Connections*?
The latest sensation from *The New York Times* Games section, *Connections*, has captured the attention of social media enthusiasts. Developed with the expertise of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, this daily word game invites players to group four words that are interconnected. The game is available on both web browsers and mobile platforms.
Each puzzle contains 16 words that must be categorized into four separate groups. These groups can range from book titles to software names, country identifiers, and more. While many words may appear to connect, only one grouping is ultimately correct.
When players successfully identify a set of four words, those words are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect guesses are recorded as mistakes, with players permitted up to four errors before the game concludes. To help players out, they can shuffle the board to see connections more clearly. Each group is color-coded by challenge level: yellow (easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to *Wordle*, players can share their outcomes on social media to compare scores with friends.
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### Tips for Playing *Connections*
If you’re seeking a bit of assistance, here are some clues for today’s puzzle categories:
– **Yellow:** Used to gauge or provide a general estimate
– **Green:** Tall and woody flora
– **Blue:** Something considerable or large
– **Purple:** Abbreviations of regions with varying postal codes
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### Today’s *Connections* Categories
In need of further assistance? Here are the precise categories for today’s puzzle:
– **Yellow:** Roughly
– **Green:** Trees
– **Blue:** Significant, in terms of quantity
– **Purple:** Abbreviations for U.S. states (according to AP Style Guide)
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### Today’s *Connections* Solution
Eager for the answers? Here’s the resolution to today’s *Connections* puzzle (#564):
– **Roughly:** ABOUT, AROUND, LIKE, ROUGHLY
– **Trees:** ELDER, PALM, PINE, SPRUCE
– **Significant, in terms of quantity:** HANDSOME, HEALTHY, RESPECTABLE, TIDY
– **U.S. State Abbreviations (AP Style):** ALA, ARK, MISS, ORE
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### Don’t Worry If You Missed It
If you haven’t cracked today’s puzzle, don’t be disheartened! A new *Connections* puzzle will be available tomorrow, and we’ll be ready with more hints and answers to guide you.
Want more puzzles? Visit Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and additional games. If you’re also enjoying *Wordle*, [here’s today’s answer](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-december-26-2024).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Check out the solution here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-december-25).
Enjoy puzzling!