**Connections: The New York Times Word Game Making Waves Worldwide**
*Connections* ranks among the top word games offered by the *New York Times*, engaging players with its intriguing task of discovering “shared threads among words.” Similar to *Wordle*, *Connections* refreshes daily at midnight, presenting a new challenge that becomes progressively more difficult. If you find yourself at a standstill, we have hints, tips, and tactics ready to assist you in unraveling the puzzle.
If your aim is simply to find today’s answer, scroll down to the end of this piece. However, if you wish to tackle it independently, keep reading for some useful insights and guidance.
—
### What is *Connections*?
The most recent daily word game from the *New York Times* has emerged as a viral phenomenon on social media. Developed with the contributions of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, *Connections* stands out in the *Times*’ Games section. Accessible through web browsers and mobile devices, the game invites players to categorize four words that share a common theme.
Each puzzle presents 16 words, which players must sort into four distinct categories. These categories can encompass anything from book titles to software names, countries, and beyond. While certain words may appear to fit into several groups, only one solution is correct.
When players accurately group all four words together, those words are eliminated from the board. However, guesses that are incorrect count as errors, and players can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes. To streamline the process, players have the option to rearrange the board to uncover connections more easily. Each group is highlighted by difficulty: yellow (the simplest), followed by green, blue, and purple. Like *Wordle*, players can post their results on social media to compare with others.
—
### Tips for Today’s *Connections* Puzzle
In need of a gentle push to get going? Here are some hints for today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** *Compression*
– **Green:** *Additions*
– **Blue:** *Completed tasks*
– **Purple:** *Features in art*
—
### Today’s *Connections* Categories Unveiled
Still having trouble? Here’s a closer look at today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** *Compact into a smaller form*
– **Green:** *Fasteners*
– **Blue:** *Designate as done*
– **Purple:** *Represented in Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory”*
—
### Today’s *Connections* Answers
Prepared for the reveal? Here’s the answer key to today’s *Connections* puzzle:
– **Compact into a smaller form:** BALL, CRUMPLE, SCRUNCH, WAD
– **Fasteners:** BUCKLE, CLIP, HOOK, SNAP
– **Designate as done:** CHECK, CROSS, STRIKE, TICK
– **Represented in Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory”:** ANT, BRANCH, CLOCK, MELTING
If you couldn’t solve it this time, don’t fret—tomorrow’s puzzle awaits your challenge. We’ll return with additional hints and answers to support you.
—
### In Search of More Games?
For puzzle enthusiasts, Mashable has you sorted! Visit our [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and much more. And if you’re engaged in *Wordle* or *Strands*, we have hints and solutions available for those as well.
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Find yesterday’s puzzle solution here.](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-january-4)
Enjoy your puzzling journey!