**All You Should Know About the NYT’s Trendy Word Game, *Connections***
*Connections* stands out as one of the most cherished word games from the *New York Times*, enchanting players with its distinctive task of pinpointing “common links among words.” Much like the online sensation *Wordle*, *Connections* brings a new puzzle every day at midnight, with each group of words gradually increasing in difficulty. If you find yourself in a bind, we offer hints and tactics to assist you—or you can skip ahead to the solution at the conclusion of this article.
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### What Does *Connections* Entail?
The *New York Times* has brought another favorite to its Games section with *Connections*, a word game that has captured the attention of social media. Developed in collaboration with associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the game is accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices. The goal? Organize four words that share a common theme or relation.
Every puzzle displays 16 words that need to be categorized into four unique groups. These categories can include anything from book titles to software names, nations, and more. Although numerous words might appear to belong together, only one accurate grouping exists for each collection.
When you successfully group four words, those words are eliminated from the board. Nevertheless, incorrect guesses count as errors, and players can make up to four errors before the game concludes. To aid your efforts, you can rearrange the board to gain a new viewpoint.
The game employs color coding to signify difficulty: yellow is the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like *Wordle*, *Connections* permits players to share their results on social media, injecting a fun competitive spirit into the game.
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### Suggestions for Today’s *Connections* Puzzle
Need a bit of assistance without ruining the enjoyment? Here are some clues for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Below the ankle
– **Green:** A Washington
– **Blue:** Mario’s favorites
– **Purple:** Same first name
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### Today’s *Connections* Categories
If you’re seeking a bit more direction, here are the categories for today’s puzzle:
– **Yellow:** Parts of a foot
– **Green:** One dollar
– **Blue:** Types of mushrooms
– **Purple:** Pot ___
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### Today’s *Connections* Solution
Still unsure? No problem—here’s the solution to today’s puzzle (*Connections* #573):
– **Parts of a foot:** ARCH, BALL, HEEL, SOLE
– **One dollar:** BUCK, CLAM, SINGLE, SMACKER
– **Types of mushrooms:** BUTTON, MOREL, OYSTER, TRUMPET
– **Pot ___:** BELLY, HOLE, LUCK, STICKER
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### Don’t Be Disheartened If You Didn’t Solve It
If you couldn’t figure out today’s puzzle, don’t lose heart! A new *Connections* challenge will be ready for you tomorrow, and we’ll be here with additional hints and solutions to support you.
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### Interested in More Games?
If you enjoy puzzles, explore Mashable’s games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. And if you’re engaging with other *New York Times* games like *Wordle* or *Strands*, we also have hints and answers for those!
– [Today’s Wordle Answer](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-january-3-2025)
– [Today’s Strands Hints and Answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-3)
Missed out on yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the solution to January 2’s puzzle](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-january-2).
Enjoy puzzling!