Unraveling the January 17, 2025, NYT Connections Puzzle
If you’re in search of the Connections solution for Friday, January 17, 2025, this is the right place! This guide will offer insights, hints, and strategies, ultimately leading to the answers for each of the four categories. Trickier vocabulary will be clarified along the way, helping us understand how everything ties together. Warning: Spoilers for January 17, NYT Connections #586 are ahead! Continue if you wish to get some hints (and then the answers) for today’s puzzle.
For a quick way to access daily Connections hints, bookmark this page. You can also catch up on previous puzzle hints if you’re curious about what you may have overlooked.
Below are some indirect prompts for today’s Connections answers. Further down, the themes and answers will be disclosed. Scroll mindfully and take only the hints you need!

Hints for the Themes in Today’s Connections Puzzle
Here are some hints about today’s groupings, without revealing too much:
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Yellow category – Variants of meat tubes.
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Green category – Actions similar to hitting a mole, for example.
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Blue category – Tools used to navigate the Internet.
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Purple category – Contains names of beverage brands within.
Warning: Spoilers Below for Today’s Connections Puzzle!
We’re about to divulge some answers. Proceed cautiously if you prefer to avoid any spoilers. (Complete solutions can be found further down.)
Attention to Tricky Components
Terms like BOP, BANGER, and HIT may evoke thoughts of popular songs, but they carry different implications in today’s game. (BOP and HIT both function as verbs.)
BRAT is a shorthand for bratwurst.
SAFARI is pre-installed as an app on Apple devices.
While both PEPPERONI and SAUSAGE might be favored toppings on a pizza, they belong to distinct categories today.
Categories for Today’s Connections
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Yellow: FRANKFURTER
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Green: STRIKE
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Blue: WEB BROWSERS
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Purple: ENDING WITH BEER BRANDS
Caution: The Solution is Coming Up
Ready to uncover the answers to today’s Connections puzzle? They are provided below.
Yellow Words from Today’s Connections
The yellow group is deemed the easiest. The theme for this category is FRANKFURTER, with words being: BANGER, BRAT, LINK, SAUSAGE.
Green Words from Today’s Connections
The green group is the second simplest. Its theme is STRIKE, featuring the words: BOP, HIT, KNOCK, TAP.
Blue Words from Today’s Connections
The blue category is identified as the second hardest. This group relates to WEB BROWSERS, consisting of: CHROME, EDGE, OPERA, SAFARI.
Purple Words from Today’s Connections
The purple category is recognized as the most challenging. The theme links to ENDING WITH BEER BRANDS, with the words: AUTOHARP, CONTRABASS, PEPPERONI, ROSEBUD.
Solving Today’s Connections
At first glance, two categories immediately stand out. The initial grouping revolves around terms related to catchy songs: HIT, BOP, and BANGER—yet a fourth one seems absent.
Then, there’s a category for various sausages including SAUSAGE, LINK, BRAT, and BANGER. This suggests that the song category might be misleading. 🟨
AUTOHARP and CONTRABASS are both musical instruments, but others do not come to mind.
Ah, EDGE, SAFARI, CHROME, and OPERA are all names of web browsers. 🟦
TAP, HIT, KNOCK, and BOP all represent verbs that imply striking something. 🟩
This leaves AUTOHARP, CONTRABASS, PEPPERONI, and ROSEBUD. Each represents two instruments, a pizza topping, and a plant part. What could it be? Oh, the theme must be ENDING WITH BEER BRANDS featuring Harp, Bass, Peroni, and Bud. 🟪
Connections Puzzle #586 🟨🟨🟨🟨 🟦🟦🟦🟦 🟩🟩🟩🟩 🟪🟪🟪🟪