Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers into different categories. It can be tricky, so read on if you need pointers.
What should you do when you’re done? Of course, play some word games. I also have daily Strands Hints and Answers and Quordle Hints and Answers articles if you need help with those too, while Marc’s Wordle Today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about today’s NYT Connections is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.
NYT Connections Today (Game #563) – Today’s Words
Today’s words from NYT Connections are…
- QUEEN
- STAR
- CUPID
- STRONG
- RUDOLPH
- ARCHER
- NANNY
- COMET
- VIXEN
- MOON
- ROBIN HOOD
- SHANNON
- HAWKEYE
- FEY
- JENNY
- PLANET
NYT Connections Today (Game #563) – Hint #1 – Group Hints
What are some pointers for current NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: Astronomy
- VEGETABLES: Bow and arrow
- BLUE: Lady beasts
- PURPLE: “Live from New York…”
Need more clues?
We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four themed answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…
NYT Connections Today (Game #563) – Hint #2 – Group Answers
What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: CELESTIAL OBJECTS
- GREEN: ARCH
- BLUE: FEMALE ANIMALS
- PURPLE: “SNL” CAST MEMBERS
Okay, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections Today (Game #563) – The Answers
The answers to today’s Connections game #563 are…
- YELLOW: CELESTIAL OBJECTS COMET, MOON, PLANET, STAR
- GREEN: ARCH CUPID, HAWKEYE, ROBIN HOOD, SAGITTARIUS
- BLUE: FEMALE ANIMALS JENNY, NANNY, QUEEN, VIXEN
- PURPLE: “SNL” CAST MEMBERS FEY, RUDOLPH, SHANNON, STRONG
- My rating: Simple
- My score: Perfect
The stars aligned for me today when I turned groups of three into four.
I knew the symbol for SAGITTARIUS was a centaur, but I forgot he was also holding a bow and arrow – apparently it’s meant to symbolize how people born under this sign are decisive and hit the mark every time.
ROBIN HOOD also gives his name to the archery equivalent of a hole-in-one – when an archer splits an arrow already in the target while another arrow is shot from the same spot. A moment as rare as getting through Connections without any errors.
Merry Christmas everyone.
Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, December 24, game #562)
- YELLOW: “LIONS AND TIGERS AND BEARS, OH MY!” BEARS, LIONS, OH MY, TIGERS
- GREEN: BELOVED, AS A FRIEND CLOSE, BEST, INTIMATE, TIGHT
- BLUE: WORDS THAT SOUND LIKE MULTIPLE LETTERS BEES, CONVENIENCE, FLAG, USAGE
- PURPLE: WHEN YOU’RE TRIPLED, hit the song titles BILLS, DO, GIVE ME, PLEASE
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of the New York Times’ increasingly popular word games. It challenges you to find groups of four items that have something in common, and each group has a different level of difficulty: green is easy, yellow is a little harder, blue is often quite tough, and purple is usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you technically don’t have to solve the last question because you can answer it by a process of elimination. Plus, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you some breathing room.
It’s a bit more complicated than something like Wordle, though, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For example, beware of homophones and other word games that can obscure the answers.
It is playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.