It’s Friday and that means it’s also my last day writing the NYT Mini Crossword guide for a couple weeks! I’ll see you in the middle of February, oh thou puzzlers of mine! I think I’ll have the Valentine’s Day mini if I’m not mistaken (but I could be, my math is not as strong as my English). Onward we go!
The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword, and unlike its larger sibling, it’s free-to-play without a subscription to The New York Times. You can play it on the web or the app, though you’ll need the app to tackle the archive.
Answers to today’s Mini Crossword below . . . .
Spoilers ahead!
ACROSS
1- Bowser in the Mario games, eg — BOSS
5- It’s made to measure — RULER
7- Video game company named after a term in the board game Go — ATARI
8- Exercise similar to a crunch — SITUP
9- Unwelcome message on a graded paper — SEEME
DOWN
1- Word before knuckles or tacks — BRASS
2- Pop-up button? — OUTIE
3- Classic blackboard material — SLATE
4- Concentrated form of many cosmetics — SERUM
6- Ready to eat, as fruit — RIPE
Today’s Mini Crossword
Screenshot: Erik Kain
Today’s Mini was actually a bit of a challenge, but I had some good guesses off the bat with BOSS and RULER. I had no idea that ATARI got its name from the board game GO, so I learned something new today. RIPE was fairly easy and I with a couple letters already filled in for 3-DOWN, SLATE was a fairly obvious answer. From here, the last little bits filled in fairly quickly. This one took me 1:05.
If you also play Wordle, I write guides about that as well. You can find those and all my TV guides, reviews and much more here on my blog. Thanks for reading!
Clues and Answers for Today’s NYT Mini Crossword – Friday, January 24th
1. French farewell: ADIEU
2. Like a book that’s both exciting and well-written: PAGE-TURNER
3. “___ of the above”: NONE
4. “The ___” (2019 thriller film starring Lupita Nyong’o): US
5. Toy that does tricks: YO-YO
Enjoy solving the puzzle! #NYTCrossword #MiniCrossword #FridayFun
Tags:
NYT Mini Crossword, Friday January 24th, Crossword Clues, Crossword Answers, New York Times, Mini Crossword, Daily Puzzle, Friday Puzzle, January 24th Puzzle, Word Puzzle, Puzzle Game
Need some assistance with NYT Strands today? Today’s theme — “Pixar this” — is pretty obvious, but needs some reasonably deep knowledge to complete.
Below, we’ve compiled some useful hints for Strands #325, as well as the answers, should it come to that. We’ll start off with some clues, before building up to the full answer for Strands #325, so read on if you need a little help.
Warning: Spoilers lie ahead for Strands #325.
Today’s NYT Strands answer — Today’s theme and hints
The official theme for NYT Strands #325 is… “Pixar this”.
And here’s an unofficial hint from me: “One-word cartoon movies”.
If you’re still in the dark, here are some useful words to give you those valuable clue tokens:
DRAWN
BRAWN
WARNED
MELT
MINED
ROUND
TILE
Still struggling? The spangram will give you a hint about the connection word. Today, it starts with A and ends with N.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Scroll down to find out what it is…
It’s ANIMATION.
Today’s Strands answers
So, what are today’s Strands answers for game #325?
Drumroll, please…
RATATOUILLE
CARS
BRAVE
ONWARD
SOUL
ELEMENTAL
(Image credit: Alan Martin)
…and the spangram was ANIMATION.
Strands #325
“Pixar this”
Hi Strands fans. Even if you’ve seen every Pixar movie (I’m on about 80%, having not seen Brave, The Good Dinosaur or any of the Cars movies), today’s one isn’t as easy as you might expect. That’s because only one-word titles are eligible, meaning no Toy Story, The Incredibles, Inside Out or Finding Nemo.
Still, I was able to cross off a big segment of the board straight away, when I remembered how to spell RATATOUILLE, which was in the bottom-right corner. I then found CARS and BRAVE above it along the top of the board.
You’d have thought getting two I hadn’t seen would set me up nicely, but it turns out some of the ones I had seen are somewhat forgettable.
So it took me some time to remember that ONWARD exists, but that helped me find SOUL – which I really did like (and, controversially, I might call the last great original Pixar made).
This cleared enough space to get the spangram: ANIMATION. And that meant the last movie was sitting as an anagram in the bottom-left corner. After a little decoding, I realized it was ELEMENTAL – a movie I actually saw with a cast and crew Q&A at the BFI just 19 months ago. How quickly we forget, eh?
Yesterday’s Strands answers
Reading this in a later time zone? You can find the full article on yesterday’s Strands answers for game #324 right here.
Are you ready to tackle the NYT Strands puzzle for today? Here are some hints to help you solve it:
Hints:
1. The spangram for today is: N G T A Y R S D M
2. The clues for today’s puzzle include words related to travel, food, and famous landmarks.
3. Some possible answers for today’s puzzle are: Grand, tasty, Strand, drama, sandy, and many more!
Put your word skills to the test and see if you can solve today’s NYT Strands puzzle. Good luck!
Tags:
NYT Strands, hints, spangram, answers, game #325, Wednesday, January 22 2025, puzzle, word game, crossword, solutions, daily challenge
The New York Times introduced its first crossword puzzle on February 15, 1942, in the Sunday Magazine, created by Charles Erlenkotter and edited by Margaret Farrar. This marked the NYT as the first major newspaper to feature a crossword puzzle. Over time, the newspaper expanded its puzzle offerings, introducing the Mini Crossword in 2014, along with other popular games like Spelling Bee, Letter Boxed, and Tiles. In 2022, the NYT released Wordle, which quickly became a global phenomenon, and followed it up with additional interactive games such as Connections and Strands. Strands, the newest addition to the NYT puzzle collection, provides a daily challenge with fresh, innovative themes for players to explore. A standout feature is the special Spangram, spanning across both sides of the game board, which adds an exciting layer of creativity. With its unique design, engaging gameplay, and widespread appeal, Strands has rapidly captivated puzzle enthusiasts worldwide, cementing the NYT’s reputation as a leader in providing interactive, fun, and intellectually stimulating games for diverse audiences.
NYT Strands January 21, 2025 – Hints, answers, Spangram
Having trouble solving today’s NYT Strands puzzle? We’re here to help with some easy hints to fuel your curiosity even more. Plus, we’ve got today’s answer waiting for you – just keep reading.
Today’s NYT Strands puzzle theme
The theme for today’s Strands is ‘You don’t say’
Hints for today’s Strands
Below, we’ve shared the hints, answers, and Spangram for today’s NYT Strands puzzle. The hints may give away part or all of the Strands, so proceed with caution. Scroll down to continue: Hints
A term that was once used to describe something that’s cool or impressive, often associated with fashion or music.
A person in charge, but sometimes used to describe someone who’s highly skilled or confident.
This word can be related to something fresh, or a sweet fruit often associated with a symbol of something new or perfect.
Surfing culture was the birthplace of this word, and it’s used to describe something that’s impressive or radical.
This word refers to something that has a certain age or comes from a previous era, no longer trendy.
A term for casual or informal language, usually used in specific groups or subcultures.
Could refer to something that is very quick, or a bright burst of light, or even something fashionable and showy.
A word used to describe something extreme or groundbreaking, not for the faint of heart.
This can mean something important or large scale, but sometimes it’s used in a slang context to describe something significant.
NYT Strands January 21, 2025 – Hints, answers, Spangram
Spangram for today
Dated slang is the Spangram for today’s NYT Strands puzzle.
Today’s Strands’ answers:
PHAT
BOSS
CHERRY
TUBULAR
DATED
SLANG
FLASH
RADICAL
MAJOR
What are NYT Strands and how to play the game?
Strands is a puzzle game that blends elements of Connections, Spelling Bee, and classic crossword puzzles. Players are given 48 letters arranged on a 6 x 8-inch grid, along with a daily theme. The goal is to solve the Spangram and uncover all the theme-related words.
To play, connect letters on the grid to form words by dragging your mouse or fingers (on a touchscreen) in horizontal, vertical, or diagonal directions.
Start by identifying the central theme word or Spangram, which will help you understand the puzzle’s theme.
In addition to the Spangram, you must also find other words related to the theme hidden in the grid. Once you’ve uncovered them all, the puzzle is complete.
Tips for solving NYT Strands puzzle
Identify the theme words: Fill in the grid with the theme words. Once found, they will be highlighted in blue and won’t overlap with each other.
Find the Spangram: Identify the Spangram, a key part of the puzzle that connects two opposite sides of the grid. It encapsulates the theme and may consist of two words. The Spangram will be highlighted in yellow once you’ve located it.
Take advantage of hints: Pay attention to off-topic words for clues. For every three non-theme words you uncover, letters will be highlighted to give you a hint toward finding a theme word, without directly revealing it.
Welcome to Nyt Strands Today! Here are the clues, answers, and Spangram for January 21, 2025:
Clues:
1. A popular social media platform (4 letters)
2. A type of fruit that is green and often used in salads (6 letters)
3. A famous detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (4 letters)
4. A type of pasta that is shaped like small tubes (5 letters)
Answers:
1. Instagram
2. Avocado
3. Sherlock
4. Penne
Hey, folks! Today’s NYTStrands hints, spangram and answers for Wednesday, January 22 are coming right up.
How To Play Strands
The New York Times’Strands puzzle is a play on the classic word search. It’s available on the NYT website and in the NYT Games app alongside the likes of Wordle and Connections (which we also cover in daily guides at Forbes Gaming).
There’s a new game of Strands to play every day. The game will present you with a six by eight grid of letters. The aim is to find a group of words that have something in common, and you’ll get a clue as to what that theme is. When you find a theme word, it will remain highlighted in blue.
You’ll also need to find a special word called a spangram. This tells you what the words have in common. The spangram links at least two sides of the board, but it may not start or end there. While the theme words will not be a proper name, the spangram can be a proper name. When you find the spangram, it will remain highlighted in yellow.
Every letter is used once in one of the theme words and spangram. You can connect letters vertically, horizontally and diagonally, and it’s possible to switch directions in the middle of a word. If you’re playing on a touchscreen, double tap the last letter to submit your guess.
If you find three valid words of at least four letters that are not part of the theme, you’ll unlock the Hint button. Clicking this will highlight the letters that make up one of the theme words.
Be warned: You’ll need to be on your toes. Sometimes you’ll need to fill the missing word(s) in a phrase. On other days, the game may revolve around synonyms or homophones. The difficulty will vary from day to day, and the puzzle creators will try to surprise you sometimes.
What Is Today’s Strands Hint?
Scroll slowly! Just after the hint for today’s Strands puzzle, I’ll reveal what the answer words are.
The official theme hint for today’s Strand puzzle is…
Pixar this
Need some extra help? Here’s another hint…
CGI features
There are seven theme words to find today, including the spangram.
What Are Today’s NYT Strands Hints?
Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Strands hints.
Here are the first two letters of every theme word in today’s puzzle. They’re ordered from left to right, then top to bottom by any letter of the word appearing for the first time:
What Are Today’s NYT Strands Answers?
Before I reveal the other the full word list, I’ll first tell you the spangram and show you where that is on the grid.
This is your final spoiler warning!
Today’s Strands spangram is…
ANIMATION
Here’s where you’ll find it on the grid…
New York Times Strands screenshot, showing the highlighted term ANIMATION
New York Times
Today’s Strands theme words are…
BRAVE
CARS
ONWARD
ANIMATION
SOUL
ELEMENTAL
RATATOUILLE
Here’s what the completed grid looks like…
Completed Strands grid for January 22 featuring the words BRAVE, CARS, ONWARD, ANIMATION, SOUL, … [+] ELEMENTAL and RATATOUILLE.
New York Times
Not much in the way of ambiguity for today’s theme. They were all Pixar movies. It didn’t take me long at all to start knocking these out, but it did take me a little time to figure out the spangram.
I used no hints and the spangram was the fifth theme word I found.
Please follow my blogfor more coverage of Strands, Connections and other word games as well as video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky! It’s fun there.
Welcome to today’s edition of NYT ‘Strands’ Hints and Answers! If you’re looking for some help with the Wednesday, January 22 crossword puzzle, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we will provide you with some hints and answers to help you navigate through the grid. So grab your pencil and let’s get solving!
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Parts of an Indiana Jones Costume: BOMBER, FEDORA, SATCHEL, WHIP
Rhymes of U.S. President Names: PAGAN, SMARTER, VIXEN, WIDEN
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you struggling to solve the New York Times Connections puzzle #592? Here are some hints and answers to help you make those tricky connections:
1. Hint: This week’s theme is “Famous Duos.”
Answer: Batman & Robin
2. Hint: This famous duo shares a last name with a popular brand of peanut butter.
Answer: George & Martha Washington
3. Hint: These two were known for their famous stand-up comedy routines and television shows in the 1950s and 60s.
Answer: Lucy & Desi
4. Hint: This duo is known for their hit song “Islands in the Stream.”
Answer: Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton
5. Hint: These two are famous for their roles in the movie “Thelma & Louise.”
Answer: Geena Davis & Susan Sarandon
Stay tuned for more hints and answers to help you solve this week’s Connections puzzle!
Tags:
NYT Connections, Connections hints, Connections answers, January 23, Tips to solve Connections #592, NYT Connections puzzles, Connections puzzle solutions, Connections game strategies, Connections crossword hints, Connections clues, Connections tips, Connections January 23, NYT Connections game.
Hey, everyone! I hope you’re taking care of yourselves out there.
For various reasons, I’m trying to reduce the amount of time I spend on social media. Keeping it largely at bay has been quite helpful this week in particular.
I got rid of most of those apps on my phone recently, retaining Instagram only to keep up with my friends’ stories. I still have a few messaging apps, but I only look at Twitter these days at my desk for newsgathering. I still enjoy Bluesky and Reddit, but I’m trying to use those only in small doses. These decisions have been for the better, I think.
Before we get going, I’ve started a discussion group for Connections and this column on Discord. You can chat about each game (and other topics) with me and other folks. I’m always interested to find out how other people approach the game, so join us! It’s fun.
It’s also the best way to give me any feedback about the column, especially on the rare(!) occasions that I mess something up.
Today’s NYTConnections hints and answers for Thursday, January 23, are coming right up.
How To Play Connections
Connections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the NYT website or Games app.
You’re presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part.
There’s only one solution for each puzzle, and you’ll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them.
Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay.
Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and you’re incorrect, you’ll lose a life. If you’re close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that you’re one word away from getting it right, but you’ll still need to figure out which one to swap.
If you make four mistakes, it’s game over. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen with the help of some hints, and, if you’re really struggling, today’s Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, it’s easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats.
If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the publication’s Connections archive. This includes every previous game of Connections, so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed.
Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints for each grid via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query.
What Are Today’s Connections Hints?
Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of today’s Connections groups, I’ll reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them.
Today’s 16 words are…
BETTER
BLANKET
SATCHEL
PAGAN
WIDEN
COOLER
WHIP
SMARTER
BASKET
ECLIPSE
BOMBER
UTENSILS
TOP
FEDORA
SURPASS
VIXEN
And the hints for today’s Connections groups are:
Yellow group — exceed
Green group — park dining essentials
Blue group — you might need these if you pretend to go digging for precious artifacts
Purple group — a little like holders of high office
What Are Today’s Connections Groups?
Need some extra help?
Be warned: we’re starting to get into spoiler territory.
Today’s Connections groups are…
Yellow group — outdo
Green group — picnic accessories
Blue group — parts of an Indiana Jones costume
Purple group — rhymes of U.S. president names
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Connections answers.
This is your final warning!
Today’s Connections answers are…
Yellow group — outdo (BETTER, ECLIPSE, SURPASS, TOP)
Green group — picnic accessories (BASKET, BLANKET, COOLER, UTENSILS)
Blue group — parts of an Indiana Jones costume (BOMBER, FEDORA, SATCHEL, WHIP)
Purple group — rhymes of U.S. president names (PAGAN, SMARTER, VIXEN, WIDEN)
Yet another perfect game today, though it was a bit of a lucky one. That streak is up to eight, and my overall winning run has reached 11 games. Here’s how I fared:
It took me just a few seconds to realize that WHIP, FEDORA and SATCHEL were all Indiana Jones-related. I figured BOMBER would make sense with those, since one of the big set pieces in Raiders of the Lost Ark is a fight that takes place in and around a bomber. Not exactly the correct thought process, but at least I had the blues sorted.
From there, I was able to deduce the rest of the groups easily enough. Well, at least I figured out the greens and yellows were. That left the purples, and I submitted those next.
I had no clue here, even if it’s kind of fun to have a slightly more difficult purple group than the ones we’ve had lately. I was getting a little too comfortable, if we’re being honest. Those presidents are Ronald Reagan (PAGAN), Jimmy Carter (SMARTER), Richard Nixon (VIXEN) and Joe Biden (WIDEN).
The greens were next, and then the yellows wrapped up yet another perfect game.
That’s all there is to it for today’s Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Friday’s game if you need them.
P.S. I missed a trick by not using this as my recommendation when we had a group of fictional doctors earlier this week. But I wasn’t about to make that mistake again with an Indiana Jones group in the mix today.
Aqua had more songs than just “Barbie Girl.” In fact, that was just one of three U.K. number one singles the group had. Here’s another one, an infectious Eurodance track called “Doctor Jones:”
Their other number one is also worth a listen. “Turn Back Time” is a solid pop ballad:
(”Cartoon Heroes” is a fun song too. Hey, Aqua are a good band!)
Have a great day! Stay hydrated! Call someone you love!
If you’re so inclined, please do follow my blog for more coverage of Connections and other word games and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky! It’s fun there.
If you’re a fan of The New York Times’ crossword puzzle, you’re in luck! Here are the hints and answers for Thursday, January 23rd’s puzzle:
1. Across: “Opposite of ‘nays’”
Answer: Yeas
2. Across: “Not as common”
Answer: Rarer
3. Across: “Liquor in a Mai Tai”
Answer: Rum
4. Across: “Reverberate”
Answer: Echo
5. Across: “Like some jeans and humor”
Answer: Dry
6. Down: “Unyielding”
Answer: Firm
7. Down: “___-Croatian”
Answer: Serbo
8. Down: “Twist”
Answer: Spin
9. Down: “___-Lorraine”
Answer: Alsace
10. Down: “Shade of blue”
Answer: Cyan
Happy puzzling! Let us know if you need any more hints or answers.
Tags:
NYT Connections, Thursday January 23, NYT crossword hints, crossword answers, Thursday crossword solutions, NYT puzzle solutions, Thursday crossword tips
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #591 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
Types of Academic Courses: DISCUSSION, LAB, LECTURE, SEMINAR
Results of Some Digging: DITCH, HOLE, PIT, TRENCH
Ones Wearing Robes: BOXER, JUDGE, MONK, WIZARD
___Up: BATTER, BOTTOMS, CHIN, LAWYER
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you struggling to solve the New York Times Connections puzzle for January 22? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with some hints and answers to help you crack the code for puzzle #591.
Hints:
1. Look for common themes or similarities between the clues given in each round.
2. Pay attention to any repeated words or phrases that may link the clues together.
3. Consider different interpretations or meanings of the words in the clues to find the connection.
Answers:
1. Apple, Orange, Banana – Fruits
2. Dog, Cat, Rabbit – Pets
3. Red, Green, Blue – Colors
4. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday – Days of the week
Hey, everyone! Hope your week is going as smoothly as possible.
Being a normal human being, I’ve accumulated a few scars in my time on this planet. A few from surgeries, one from an afore-mentioned oyster-shucking mishap and another from trying to hug the TV when I was a toddler.
I wear those scars mostly with pride. They’re part of me and my weird journey on this rock.
All of this is to say that I really admire kintsugi, the beautiful Japanese art of repairing damaged ceramics with a lacquer that’s often mixed with gold powder. The idea is to treat damage as part of an item’s story instead of something that should be masked.
I absolutely connect with that concept. Imperfections are something that we should embrace, because they help make us more interesting.
Anyway, before we get going, I’ve started a discussion group for Connections and this column on Discord. You can chat about each game (and other topics) with me and other folks. I’m always interested to find out how other people approach the game, so join us! It’s fun.
It’s also the best way to give me any feedback about the column, especially on the rare(!) occasions that I mess something up.
Today’s NYTConnections hints and answers for Wednesday, January 22, are coming right up.
How To Play Connections
Connections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the NYT website or Games app.
You’re presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part.
There’s only one solution for each puzzle, and you’ll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them.
Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay.
Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and you’re incorrect, you’ll lose a life. If you’re close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that you’re one word away from getting it right, but you’ll still need to figure out which one to swap.
If you make four mistakes, it’s game over. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen with the help of some hints, and, if you’re really struggling, today’s Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, it’s easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats.
If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the publication’s Connections archive. This includes every previous game of Connections, so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed.
Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints for each grid via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query.
What Are Today’s Connections Hints?
Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of today’s Connections groups, I’ll reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them.
Today’s 16 words are…
BOXER
DITCH
BATTER
LAB
CHIN
JUDGE
PIT
LAWYER
LECTURE
HOLE
WIZARD
DISCUSSION
TRENCH
BOTTOMS
SEMINAR
MONK
And the hints for today’s Connections groups are:
Yellow group — educational settings
Green group — like a chasm
Blue group — dressed to impress
Purple group — “held” and “screw” would fit in here
What Are Today’s Connections Groups?
Need some extra help?
Be warned: we’re starting to get into spoiler territory.
Today’s Connections groups are…
Yellow group — types of academic courses
Green group — results of some digging
Blue group — ones wearing robes
Purple group — ____ up
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Connections answers.
This is your final warning!
Today’s Connections answers are…
Yellow group — types of academic courses (DISCUSSION, LAB, LECTURE, SEMINAR)
Green group — results of some digging (DITCH, HOLE, PIT, TRENCH)
Blue group — ones wearing robes (BOXER, JUDGE, MONK, WIZARD)
Purple group — ____ up (BATTER, BOTTOMS, CHIN, LAWYER)
I’ve no idea what my record streak of perfect games is, but seven is the best I remember. My overall streak is up to 10 as well. Here’s how I fared:
I spent far, far too long staring at BOXER, LAB and PIT, trying to convince myself that this must be three-quarters of a group of dog breeds, but nothing else made sense with them.
I eventually figured out that LAB had to go with the rest of the yellows. That meant PIT had to be one of the greens too.
It took me more than a few moments to shake the idea that BOTTOMS could only be referring to “bell bottoms.” Once I clicked on that, BATTER and CHIN — the three remaining words that weren’t job titles — it only took me a moment to figure out the purple connection and submit that.
BATTER up is a baseball reference and CHIN up is both an exercise and a way of telling someone to not get disheartened by something. BOTTOMS up refers to tipping the bottom part of a glass upward to finish a drink. And LAWYER up means to get yourself a lawyer, because you’re probably being taken to court.
I didn’t clock the blue connection, but I probably should have. More jobs should require people to wear robes, in all honesty.
That’s all there is to it for today’s Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Thursday’s game if you need them.
P.S. Here’s another cut from my mega playlist, a little midweek jolt for you. “Steady, As She Goes” is a spiky number from The Raconteurs, one of Jack White’s many projects. There’s a nice, danceable groove to it:
Have a great day! Stay hydrated! Call someone you love!
If you’re so inclined, please do follow my blog for more coverage of Connections and other word games and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky! It’s fun there.
Are you looking for some hints and answers for the New York Times crossword puzzle “Connections” for Wednesday, January 22nd? Look no further! We’ve got you covered with all the clues and solutions you need to conquer today’s puzzle. Stay tuned for some helpful tips and tricks to help you solve even the trickiest of clues. Let’s get cracking! #NYT #Crossword #Connections #PuzzleSolver
The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.
With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.
So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.
Here are the answers to the New York Times Mini Crossword for January 20, 2025:
1. EGG
2. LIME
3. TOGA
4. YES
5. TAT
6. SEW
Tags:
NYT mini crossword, January 20 2025, crossword answers, NYT mini crossword solutions, crossword puzzle answers, daily crossword answers, crossword clues, crossword hints, crossword solutions, New York Times mini crossword, January 20 2025.
It’s Monday and Martin Luther King Jr. Day and inauguration day all in one. Good grief! I’m a little overwhelmed, so let’s just skip the preamble and get right to today’s NYT Mini Crossword!
The NYT Mini is a smaller, quicker, more digestible, bite-sized version of the larger and more challenging NYT Crossword, and unlike its larger sibling, it’s free-to-play without a subscription to The New York Times. You can play it on the web or the app, though you’ll need the app to tackle the archive.
Answers to today’s Mini Crossword below . . . .
Spoilers ahead!
ACROSS
1- Button whose icon is a triangle above a rectangle — EJECT
6- Only primate species that can have blue eyes, aside from human — LEMUR
7- “Of course,” in Spanish — CLARO
8- Star-studded group — ALIST
9- Classic fixture outside a barbershop — POLE
DOWN
1- Famous Yosemite landmark, familiarly — ELCAP
2- What jiggles after it’s set — JELLO
3- One might end with “Best,” — EMAIL
4- “$%@!,” e.g. — CURSE
5- Jogging gait — TROT
Today’s Mini
Screenshot: Erik Kain
This was actually a pretty tricky Mini Crossword but the reason my time is so bad is pizza. Me trying to eat pizza, which is messy, and fill in the crossword on my PC, without making a terrible mess. Not a great idea! I’m not good at multitasking.
Some of the words were also tough. 1-DOWN I had no idea. I’ve still never been to Yosemite. I also didn’t know that LEMUR’s can have blue eyes and that other primates can’t. Weird! I was trying to think of a star-studded group, not the term for a star-studded group. It was only thanks to knowing 1-ACROSS (thank you VCR childhood!) and 5-Down and guessing a couple others that I was able to fill in all the blanks…in 2:25.
If you also play Wordle, I write guides about that as well. You can find those and all my TV guides, reviews and much more here on my blog. Thanks for reading!
Clues and Answers for Today’s NYT Mini Crossword – Monday, January 20th
1. Smallest chess piece – PAWN
2. “___ & Order: SVU” – LAW
3. Opposite of “young” – OLD
4. Long, long time – EON
5. Prefix with “biotic” or “dote” – ANTI
Enjoy solving the rest of the puzzle!
Tags:
NYT Mini Crossword, Monday January 20th, Crossword Clues, Crossword Answers, New York Times Mini Crossword, Monday Crossword, January 20th Crossword, Crossword Puzzle, Mini Crossword Clues, Mini Crossword Answers
