NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Tuesday, January 14 (game #583)

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 #583) - today's words

Today's NYT Connections words are…

• WORKING
• SESSION
• BODY
• CROWD
• PUFFING
• RUNNING
• SWANK
• FLASH
• SITTING
• ACTIVE
• GULLY
• PERIOD
• STRAP
• MEETING
• FUNCTIONAL
• LENS

NYT Connections today (game #583) - hint #1 - group hints

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

• YELLOW: In service
• GREEN: Timely 
• BLUE: Snap happy 
• PURPLE: Feathered friends + 1

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 #583) - hint #2 - group answers

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

• YELLOW: OPERATING 
• GREEN: TERM 
• BLUE: THINGS IN A CAMERA KIT 
• PURPLE: BIRD PLUS LETTER 

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

NYT Connections today (game #583) - the answers

The answers to today's Connections, game #583, are…

• YELLOW: OPERATING ACTIVE, FUNCTIONAL, RUNNING, WORKING
• GREEN: TERM MEETING, PERIOD, SESSION, SITTING
• BLUE: THINGS IN A CAMERA KIT BODY, FLASH, LENS, STRAP
• PURPLE: BIRD PLUS LETTER CROWD, GULLY, PUFFING, SWANK

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• My rating: Moderate
• My score: 1 hint

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I got my answers a little back to front today, not seeing the yellow group OPERATING until second last. Although I’m kicking myself that I didn’t spot the word trickery employed for purple’s BIRD PLUS LETTER, the truth is I could have stared at those words forever without seeing the cunning connection. Instead I wasted time thinking SWANK, FLASH and FUNCTIONAL were fashion styles.

THINGS IN A CAMERA KIT seemed a little clunky, as all of that quartet is usually one single thing rather than a “kit”, but LENS and FLASH seemed linked and STRAP and BODY made sense.

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Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Monday, 13 January, game #582)

• YELLOW: TEACH COACH, GUIDE, SCHOOL, TRAIN
• GREEN: CACHE BANK, POOL, RESERVE, STORE
• BLUE: DRIVING INSTRUCTOR DIRECTIVES BRAKE, PARK, SIGNAL, TURN
• PURPLE: WORM BOOK, EARTH, GLOW, INCH

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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.