NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, July 23 (game #773)

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

NYT Connections today (game #773) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• TOMAHAWK
• PHANTOM
• GEODUCK
• BUGBEAR
• ESCROW
• SEAHORSE
• FLATIRON
• MORTGAGE
• PORTERHOUSE
• BOGEYMAN
• APPRAISAL
• WOMBAT
• HOBGOBLIN
• TITMOUSE
• CHATEAUBRIAND
• INSURANCE

NYT Connections today (game #773) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: Fictional fear 
• GREEN: Rare, Medium or well done?
• BLUE: Real estate 
• PURPLE: Multiple creatures

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #773) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

• YELLOW: DREAD-INDUCING FIGURES 
• GREEN: KINDS OF STEAKS 
• BLUE: RELATED TO BUYING A HOME 
• PURPLE: ANIMALS ENDING WITH ANIMALS 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #773) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #773, are…

• YELLOW: DREAD-INDUCING FIGURES BOGEYMAN, BUGBEAR, HOBGOBLIN, PHANTOM
• GREEN: KINDS OF STEAKS CHATEAUBRIAND, FLATIRON, PORTERHOUSE, TOMAHAWK
• BLUE: RELATED TO BUYING A HOME APPRAISAL, ESCROW, INSURANCE, MORTGAGE
• PURPLE: ANIMALS ENDING WITH ANIMALS GEODUCK, SEAHORSE, TITMOUSE, WOMBAT

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• My rating: Hard
• My score: 2 mistakes

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I made both of my mistakes today trying to collate DREAD-INDUCING FIGURES. I thought it had something to do with mythical creatures, so had GEODUCK and then TITMOUSE instead of BUGBEAR – which in hindsight seems somewhat ridiculous.

Now, thanks to Google, I know that a geoduck is a kind of clam rather than a mythical beast, and part of the excellent ANIMALS ENDING WITH ANIMALS group . Congratulations to all who spotted that one.

KINDS OF STEAK was the first thing I thought of when I saw PORTERHOUSE at the start of the game, but I needed the options to reduce before I could get the others. CHATEAUBRIAND – which is a thick cut of beef tenderloin – is a new word for me.

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Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, July 22, game #772)

• YELLOW: SASSINESS ATTITUDE, CHEEK, LIP, MOUTH
• GREEN: MITIGATE CUSHION, DAMPEN, SOFTEN, TEMPER
• BLUE: PATTERNS CAMO, CHECKERS, HONEYCOMB, STRIPES
• PURPLE: ___PIE CHESS, CUTIE, HUMBLE, WHOOPIE

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What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.