Today's NYT Connections Hint and Answer (December 11, #549)

Which fast links are connected? Hint for today's connection group Today's answer to the NYT connection How to predict connection groups

Connections is a game in the New York Times that challenges you to find the relationships between words. It seems simple, but it's not—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they are usually very specific. If you need help finding the answer, we will assist you.

'No ad found to win in the specified zone. Zone: Below the first paragraph, Zone: Native within the content'

What is Connections?

Connections is a game in the New York Times. The goal is simple: to divide 16 words into 4 groups. Each group of words is connected by a common idea or theme. The common element can be anything. Various categories have been seen, from word games that depend on the number of letters in a word to categories that require finding additional letters at the end of words. Sometimes, references to economics are included, and sometimes references to fairy tales are included. The relationship between words cannot be predicted.

Once you understand connections confidently, select 4 words and press 'Submit'. You have 4 attempts in total, so don't bet too much.

Hint for today's connection group

Some hints for the start of the 549th round of the Connections game:

• Yellow: A perfect place.
• Green: Something that needs to be mixed.
• Blue: A mashup.
• Purple: Only half of the word is important.

Still need help? The actual group names are as follows:

• Yellow: Utopia
• Green: Shaking things
• Blue: Bilingual vocabulary
• Purple: Words that end with 'friend'

Answer to today's NYT connection

Utopia (Yellow):

Paradise, 7th Heaven, Shangri-La, Shandau

Shaking things (Green):

Hair spray, Magic 8 Ball, Salad dressing, Snow globe

Bilingual compound words (Blue):

Jazz exercise, Paralympics, Pokémon, Wikipedia

Words that end with 'friend' (Purple):

Couch, PayPal, Plamet, Rosebud

How to predict connection groups

A quick and reliable method like Wordle is similar to Connections, but keeping a few points in mind can be helpful.

1. Find similar parts of speech. Is one word a verb and the other a noun? Are several words adjectives? Try grouping them based on these categories and see if other patterns become apparent.
2. Are the words synonyms? Sometimes the category is just a phraseological synonym or very close synonyms. However, don't rely on this too much. Sometimes, connections intentionally insert words that are sometimes synonyms to mislead you.
3. Say the words out loud. Sometimes, saying the words can help. We saw a puzzle that included the words go, rate, faster, clip, pace, speed, move, commute, and hurry—clearly related to the concept of movement. However, when you say them, it becomes obvious that only four (go, move, hurry, faster) are the ones you would actually say to prompt someone to start moving.
4. Expect the red herring. Connections often include words with similar meanings that are accidentally grouped together. For example, it may seem like they are grouped under a category related to beer, but they are not related to beer.
5. Find distinctive words. Use a word on the board that does not have multiple meanings and can only be used in a specific context as the basis for a category.
6. Shuffle the board. Sometimes, changing the position of the words can give you a new perspective to look at them.

If you can't solve it, don't worry—there will be another chance tomorrow! And these words may align with topics you are interested in. This can help you take a step forward in the competition.