**Connections: The New York Times’ Engaging Word Challenge Unveiled**
*Connections* has swiftly become one of the most cherished word games from the *New York Times*, enchanting players with its distinctive challenge of discovering “common threads among words.” Similar to *Wordle*, this daily game resets at midnight, presenting a new puzzle each day that becomes progressively more difficult. If you find yourself at a standstill, no need to fret—we’ve got hints, tips, and strategies to assist you.
If you’re simply looking for today’s solution, scroll to the bottom of this article. However, if you prefer to tackle it independently, continue reading for clues and advice to enhance your abilities.
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### What is *Connections*?
The *New York Times*’ newest word game has turned into a phenomenon on social media. Developed with assistance from associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, *Connections* challenges players to categorize four words that share a common bond. The game is accessible on both web browsers and mobile devices, allowing players to join in from anywhere.
Each puzzle features 16 words, split into four groups of four. These groups can symbolize anything from book titles to software names, countries, or various shared themes. While several words might appear to fit together, there’s only one definitive solution for each collection.
Upon successfully identifying a group, the four words are eliminated from the board. However, incorrect guesses count as mistakes. Players can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes.
To assist you, you can shuffle the board to rearrange the words, making it easier to find connections. Each group is color-coded based on difficulty: yellow represents the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like *Wordle*, you can share your results with friends on social media.
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### Tips for Playing *Connections*
– Begin by identifying obvious categories, such as colors, animals, or well-known names.
– Don’t hesitate to shuffle the board for a fresh viewpoint.
– Be mindful of subtle connections—sometimes the relationship between words is not immediately clear.
– Utilize the color-coding system to determine difficulty and concentrate on easier groups first.
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### Today’s *Connections* Hints
Looking for a little guidance? Here are some hints for today’s categories without revealing the answers:
– **Yellow:** Tranquil
– **Green:** Cheese reception
– **Blue:** Remote options
– **Purple:** Shared surname
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### Today’s *Connections* Categories
Still in a bind? Here’s a summary of today’s categories to assist you:
– **Yellow:** Barely active
– **Green:** Acquire
– **Blue:** Remote functions
– **Purple:** Words preceding “drum”
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### Today’s *Connections* Solution
Ready to unveil the answers? This is your final opportunity to step back before we disclose today’s solution.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s *Connections* #574 is:
– **Barely active:** CALM, QUIET, SLEEPY, SLOW
– **Acquire:** GROSS, MAKE, NET, YIELD
– **Remote functions:** HOME, MUTE, STOP, VOLUME
– **Words preceding “drum”:** EAR, KETTLE, OIL, SNARE
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Don’t be discouraged if you didn’t succeed this time—tomorrow’s puzzle awaits! We’ll return with more hints and solutions to keep your mind engaged.
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### Looking for More Games?
If you’re a puzzle enthusiast, Mashable has you covered. Visit our [games hub](https://games.mashable.com/) for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more. And if you’re also playing *Wordle* or *Strands*, we have hints and answers for those as well.
Missed yesterday’s *Connections*? [Here’s the solution.](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-january-5)
Enjoy puzzling!