今日のNYT Connectionヒントと解答（1月21日 #590）

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

What is a connection?

Connections is a New York Times game. The goal is simple: divide 16 words into groups of four. Each group of words connects through some common idea or theme. That common element can be anything. We've seen games that depend on the number of letters in words, categories where you need to identify additional characters at the end of a word, and many more. Sometimes it's about economic references, sometimes related to fairy tales. The relationship between words cannot be predicted.

If you feel confident enough to understand connections, select four words and press the 'Submit' button. You have a total of four attempts, so don't bet too heavily.

Advice for today's connection group

A few hints to start your 590th Connections game:

• Yellow: When someone says something negative.
• 'Green: A small version of something'
• Blue: How to remove winter precipitation
• Purple: They actually don't have an M.D. (Doctor), but they hold a title.

If you still need help, the actual group names are as follows:

• Yellow: Place
• Green: Miniature version
• Blue: Used to remove snow
• Purple: Pop culture doctor

Answer to today's NYT Connections

To place (yellow):

Bear, Crack, Dig, Soft

'Miniature version (green):'

Cushion, Portrait, Miniature, Model

'Used to remove snow (blue):'

Plow, Salt, Sand, Shovel

'Doctor in pop culture (purple):'

No, Octopus, Pepper, Who?

How to guess connection groups?

Tackling connections like Wordle is not a quick and certain method. That's because connections are algorithmic. However, there are some tips that might help.

1. Look for words with the same part of speech. Some words are verbs, while others are nouns? A few are adjectives? Group them imaginatively based on these categories and check if any other patterns emerge.
2. Are the words synonyms? Sometimes, a category can become synonymous or very close to a synonym of a phrase. However, don't rely too much on this. Sometimes, connections use synonyms intentionally to confuse you.
3. Try out some words. Sometimes, saying a word alone is enough. One puzzle contains words like 'go', 'evaluate', 'quickly', 'clip', 'pace', 'speed', 'move', 'commute', and 'early'. All of these are related to the idea of movement. However, when you say them, it becomes somewhat clear that only four (go, move, early, quickly) should be used to prompt someone to take action.
4. Expect misleading words. Connections usually include plausible words that could accidentally be grouped incorrectly. Consider the words Bud, Corona, and Light. These three words might seem like they belong together in a beer-related category, but that's not the case.
5. Find different words. If a word on the board has multiple meanings or can only be used in a specific context, try using that word as the basis for a category.
6. Shuffle them. Sometimes, changing the position of the words gives you a new perspective.

'If this doesn't solve it, don't get too depressed—there's always tomorrow! And if these words align with topics you find interesting, they might be a step forward in your competition.'