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Connections, a sensation among the New York Times’ word games, has swiftly turned into a daily ritual for enthusiasts of puzzles. Similar to Wordle, this mind-bending game resets every night at midnight, presenting a fresh puzzle that frequently proves to be trickier than its predecessor. If you’re feeling challenged, no need to fret—we’re here with hints, tips, and today’s solution to assist you.

Want to jump straight to the answer? Scroll down to discover today’s Connections solution. Would you prefer to tackle it solo? Continue reading for clues and tactics to help you out.

What Is Connections?

Connections is the latest triumph from the New York Times Games team, developed with the assistance of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu. Accessible on both desktop and mobile devices, this game assigns players the task of arranging 16 words into four groups of four, with each group sharing a unified theme.

But don’t be misled—while some words may appear to belong together, there is only one correct arrangement. Each erroneous guess counts against you, and you can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes. You can swap around the words to help recognize patterns, and once you successfully determine a group, those words will vanish from the grid.

Each category is marked by difficulty: yellow (easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple (most challenging). And just like Wordle, you have the option to share your outcomes with friends on social media.

Looking for additional games? Dive into Mashable’s game hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, crosswords, and more.

Hints for Today’s Connections Categories

Need a gentle push in the right direction? Here are some subtle hints for today’s categories:

– Yellow: Quite common
– Green: Elements of our national emblem
– Blue: Found on a NYC theater marquee
– Purple: The latter portion of the word is identical

Still puzzled? Read on for the actual names of the categories.

Today’s Connections Categories

Here’s how today’s game is organized:

– Yellow: Mean
– Green: Featured on the U.S. Great Seal
– Blue: Specific names in Broadway musical titles that are phrases
– Purple: ___ Man

Still playing? This is your final opportunity to step back before we unveil the answers!

Today’s Connections #657 Answers

– Mean: MEAN, NORM, PAR, STANDARD
– Featured on the U.S. Great Seal: ARROWS, EAGLE, OLIVE BRANCH, SHIELD
– Specific names in Broadway musical titles that are phrases: BIRDIE, DOLLY, KATE, YANKEES
– ___ Man: BOGEY, CRAFTS, GENTLE, SPOKES

Didn’t solve it this time? No need to be concerned—Connections refreshes every day, and we’ll return tomorrow with more hints and answers to support you.

Looking for further puzzles? Check out today’s Wordle or attempt NYT’s Strands. You can also visit Mashable’s games hub for even more mentally stimulating entertainment.

Missed the puzzle from yesterday? You can find the previous solution for Connections here.