Here’s a rephrased rendition of the article with a refreshed feel and organization, while keeping all the essential information intact:

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Connections, a wildly popular word game from The New York Times, has rapidly become a daily fixation for puzzle enthusiasts. Similar to Wordle, Connections invites players to uncover the shared link between words — refreshing nightly at midnight with a new puzzle that often proves to be more challenging than its predecessor.

If you’re seeking today’s solutions, feel free to scroll down. However, if you prefer to solve the puzzle on your own, we offer tips, tactics, and everything necessary to increase your odds of success.

What is Connections?

Connections is the newest sensation from the NYT Games team, crafted with the assistance of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu. Accessible on both desktop and mobile devices, the game presents players with a grid of 16 words. The objective? Organize them into four groups of four, with each group sharing a common theme.

Beware, though — while many words may appear to belong together, there’s only one correct answer. Select the appropriate four, and they vanish from the grid. Choose incorrectly, and it counts as an error. You’re allowed up to four mistakes before the game concludes.

To assist you in identifying patterns, you can shuffle the grid — a useful feature when you’re feeling stuck. Each category is color-coded by difficulty: yellow (the easiest), followed by green, blue, and lastly purple (the hardest). And just like Wordle, you can share your results with friends on social media.

Looking for additional games? Mashable offers a variety of options including Sudoku, Mahjong, crosswords, and more — check out our complete games hub.

Hints for Today’s Puzzle

Need a little help without revealing too much? Here are some subtle hints for today’s categories:

– Yellow: These are adjusted with a remote
– Green: Distant or ambiguous
– Blue: Terms related to mathematics
– Purple: Objects that obstruct sunlight

Still unclear? Continue reading for the actual category names.

Today’s Connections Categories

Here’s the breakdown of today’s puzzle:

– Yellow: Television display settings
– Green: Vague, reminiscent of a memory
– Blue: Outcomes of some calculations
– Purple: Treatments for windows (singular version)

Ready for the complete solution? Spoilers ahead!

Today’s Connections #697 Answers

– Television display settings: BRIGHTNESS, COLOR, CONTRAST, TINT
– Vague, reminiscent of a memory: DIM, FAINT, REMOTE, VAGUE
– Outcomes of some calculations: DIFFERENCE, PRODUCT, QUOTIENT, SUM
– Treatments for windows (singular): BLIND, DRAPE, SHADE, SHUTTER

Didn’t succeed today? No worries — a fresh puzzle will be available tomorrow, and we’ll return with more hints and answers to assist you.

In search of more brain challenges? Try today’s Wordle or explore the NYT’s Strands puzzle. And if you missed yesterday’s Connections, the solution can be found here.

For even more games, check out Mashable’s game hub for free puzzles like Sudoku, Mahjong, and crosswords.

Happy puzzling!