**All You Should Know About the NYT’s Renowned Word Game *Connections***
*Connections* stands out as one of the favorite word games from the *New York Times*, enticing players with its distinct challenge of spotting “common links between words.” Much like *Wordle*, *Connections* resets every midnight, with each new puzzle ramping up in difficulty. If you find yourself in a bind, we have hints, pointers, and strategies to assist you—or you can jump to the conclusion of this article for today’s answer.
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### What Is *Connections*?
The *New York Times* has once again achieved great success with its latest daily word game, *Connections*, which has taken social media by storm. Developed with the contribution of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the game encourages players to classify four words that share a common theme. It is accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices.
Every puzzle features 16 words, segmented into four categories. These categories can encompass anything from book titles to software names, countries, and more. While many words may appear to connect, there’s only one accurate way to group them.
Here’s how it functions:
– Correctly grouping a set of words removes those terms from the board.
– An incorrect guess counts as a mistake, and players can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes.
– For added convenience, players can shuffle the board to identify connections more clearly.
Categories are color-coded based on difficulty: yellow (easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple (hardest). Similar to *Wordle*, results can be shared with friends on social media.
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### Hints for Today’s *Connections* Categories
Looking for a hint? Here are some clues for today’s puzzle:
– **Yellow:** Commercial location
– **Green:** Animal training
– **Blue:** Organizational structure
– **Purple:** National anthems
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### Today’s *Connections* Categories
Still feeling perplexed? Here’s a summary of today’s categories:
– **Yellow:** Market’s selling point
– **Green:** Commands for dogs
– **Blue:** Business sectors
– **Purple:** Concluding phrases in “America the Beautiful”
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### Today’s *Connections* Solution
Eager for the answers? This is your final opportunity to step back and solve the puzzle on your own before we disclose the solution.
Here it goes!
The solution to today’s *Connections* #578 is:
– **Market’s selling point:** BOOTH, STALL, STAND, TABLE
– **Commands for dogs:** COME, HEEL, SIT, STAY
– **Business sectors:** EAR, MEMORY, TRUNK, TUSK
– **Concluding phrases in “America the Beautiful”:** FROM, SEA, SHINING, TO
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### Don’t Be Disheartened If You Didn’t Solve It
If today’s puzzle stumped you, don’t let it get you down! A fresh *Connections* puzzle will greet you tomorrow, and we’ll return with more hints and solutions to assist you.
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### Seeking More Puzzles?
If you enjoy word games, explore Mashable’s [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and plenty more. In search of today’s *Wordle* solution? [Here it is](https://mashable.com/article/wordle-today-answer-january-9-2025).
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Find the answer here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-january-9).
And if you’re also engaging in *NYT Strands*, don’t forget to check [today’s hints and answers](https://mashable.com/article/strands-nyt-hint-january-9).
Enjoy your puzzling!