NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Thursday, January 9 (game #578)
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 clues.
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 #578) - today's words
(Image credit: New York Times)
Today's NYT Connections words are…
SHINING
FINANCE
TABLE
SIT
STAND
STAY
TO
IT
SEA
STALL
COME
FROM
LEGAL
HEEL
BOOTH
SALES
NYT Connections today (game #578) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: A pitch to sell from
GREEN: Well trained
BLUE: The office
PURPLE: Last line of patriotic song
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…
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NYT Connections today (game #578) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
YELLOW: VENDOR'S SPOT AT A MARKET
GREEN: DOG COMMANDS
BLUE: CORPORATE DEPARTMENTS
PURPLE: LAST WORDS IN "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL"
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #578) - the answers
(Image credit: New York Times)
The answers to today's Connections, game #578, are…
YELLOW: VENDOR'S SPOT AT A MARKET BOOTH, STALL, STAND, TABLE
PURPLE: LAST WORDS IN "AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL" FROM, SEA, SHINING, TO
My rating: Moderate
My score: Perfect
It’s an odd feeling getting the purple group second, and not one I’ve experienced often. “FROM SEA TO SHINING sea” felt almost too obvious – like, yellow-group obvious.
My first thought about today’s words was Stephen King novels – IT, The SHINING, The STAND – and that’s as far as I got before seeing the LAST WORDS IN “AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL” and DOG COMMANDS.
VENDOR’S SPOT AT A MARKET didn’t include the best one – blanket on the floor, the spot most often deployed by someone who doesn’t have an official spot at the market. There’s a Saturday market near me where another “spot” comes into play – opened suitcase on top of a dustbin. This is a style of selling that’s exclusive to perfumes of dubious provenance, the suitcase necessary for speedy departures. Best to stick to sellers with a BOOTH, STALL, STAND or TABLE.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, 8 January, game #577)
YELLOW: SECTION BRANCH, DIVISION, LIMB, WING
GREEN: ACCESSORIES FOR PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT BOW, DRUMSTICK, MALLET, PICK
BLUE: DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF AN ELEPHANT EAR, MEMORY, TRUNK, TUSK
PURPLE: WORDS MISSPELLED IN NU METAL BAND NAMES BISCUIT, CORN, LINCOLN, STAINED
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.