Searching for the Connections solution for Friday, January 10, 2025? This post is here to assist you with insightful hints, practical strategies, and the complete answers for each of the four categories. We’ll unpack some of the more challenging vocabulary, giving you a clearer understanding of how everything fits together. Note: Spoilers are included for January 10, NYT Connections #579! Read further for hints and the final answers to today’s Connections challenge.

To easily access our daily Connections hints, bookmark this page. You’ll also find previous hints available should you wish to explore puzzles you may have missed.

Below are subtle hints regarding the answers for today’s Connections game. Keep scrolling for the themes and answers, but take your time and only grab the hints you truly need!

Credit: Connections/NYT

Hints for Today’s Themes in Connections

Here are some spoiler-free tips regarding today’s groupings:

• Yellow group – Refers to conditions where x cannot happen until y takes place.

• Green group – A phrase directed at someone who seems to be making a big deal out of nothing.

• Blue group – Don’t forget the maraschino cherry topping before serving!

• Purple group – Associated with the game show Let’s Make a Deal.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Connections Puzzle!

We’re about to disclose some answers. If you prefer to avoid spoilers, scroll carefully. (Complete solutions can be found below.)

Understanding the Tricky Sections

Note that HINGE and DOOR do not belong together.

RYE in this context pertains to a spirit combined with other ingredients, rather than a type of bread.

ENOUGH can be a word of encouragement you might express aloud.

The term GOAT here refers to an actual goat, not the ‘greatest of all time’ phrase; it can evoke disappointment when displaying a goat instead of a car.

Categories for Today’s Connections

• Yellow: BE CONTINGENT (ON)

• Green: ”CALM DOWN”

• Blue: INGREDIENTS IN AN OLD FASHIONED

• Purple: FEATURED IN THE MONTY HALL PROBLEM

Double Warning: Full Solutions Below

Prepare to uncover the answers to today’s Connections game! The solutions are detailed below.

Yellow Group Answers in Today’s Connections

The yellow category is straightforward, themed as BE CONTINGENT (ON) with the following words: DEPEND, HINGE, RELY, REST.

Green Group Answers in Today’s Connections

The green category, deemed the second-easiest, revolves around ”CALM DOWN” with the words: CHILL, EASY, ENOUGH, RELAX.

Blue Group Answers in Today’s Connections

The blue category poses a moderate challenge, categorized as INGREDIENTS IN AN OLD FASHIONED with these words: BITTERS, ORANGE, RYE, SUGAR.

Purple Group Answers in Today’s Connections

The hardest category, represented in purple, is FEATURED IN THE MONTY HALL PROBLEM containing the words: CAR, DOOR, GOAT, HOST.

Approach to Solving Today’s Connections

While DOOR and HINGE might appear to pair up, the relationship of HINGE seems to align better with REST, DEPEND, and RELY, which all denote a state of reliance. 🟨

SUGAR, RYE, ORANGE, and BITTERS are clearly connected as traditional elements in an Old Fashioned cocktail. 🟦

Although EASY, RELAX, and CHILL show potential for grouping, finding the fourth word was initially elusive. ENOUGH fits thematically as it can serve as a directive for someone exhibiting excessive behavior. 🟩

This leaves us with DOOR, HOST, CAR, and GOAT. Perhaps they align with a conceptual fill-in-the-blank. Could it be DOORway or a double DOOR? Mountain GOAT or sports CAR? The Monty Hall Problem connects them all in a clever brain puzzle centered on selecting a CAR behind one of several doors. How intriguing! 🟪

Connections
Puzzle #579
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Rules for Playing Connections

A comprehensive guide to playing Connections is available, but here’s a brief overview:

Begin by accessing the Connections game either on the New York Times website or via their Games app (previously known as the Crossword app). You will encounter a game board featuring 16 tiles, each displaying a word or phrase. Your task is to group four tiles sharing a common trait. These can often reflect similar categories (for example: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all forms of precipitation), or they may involve wordplay (such as BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH, which relate to types of lists: bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Select four tiles and click the Submit button. If your selection is correct, the group and its color will be displayed. (Yellow signifies the simplest group, followed by green, blue, and purple.) If incorrect, another chance to guess will be offered.

Victory is achieved upon correctly identifying all four groupings. However, if four mistakes are made before completion, the game concludes, and the solutions are displayed.

Winning Strategies for Connections

Understanding that Connections is designed to challenge is essential. Groups may overlap, creating potential confusion. For instance, one puzzle included breakfast items like BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL, yet BACON turned out to belong to a category of painters alongside CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG corresponded to items commonly found by the dozen (including JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Thus, hold off on clicking “submit” until you fully verify that your selected set genuinely consists of just those four items.

When faced with a challenge, consider examining words that appear disconnected from the others. If WHISTLER prompts only thoughts of the painting “Whistler’s Mother,” a clue may arise there. Upon solving that conundrum, further investigation about the painter Close became necessary due to its lack of alignment with evident themes.

When stuck, exploring helpful hints can also lead to progress, which is why daily pointers are shared. Be sure to check back tomorrow for future puzzles!