Today's NYT Connections Hint and Answer (January 23, #592)

Connections is a game created by the New York Times that challenges players to find word relationships. It seems simple, but it's not—Connection 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 game by the New York Times. The objective is simple: classify 16 words into four groups. Each group of words connects through a common idea or theme. The common element can be anything. For example, games that play based on the number of letters in a word to categories where you need to find additional letters at the end of the last word are just some examples. Sometimes references related to economics, sometimes references related to novels could be considered. Word relationships cannot be predicted.

Once you understand Connections, select four words and press the 'Submit' button. You have a total of 4 attempts, so don't bet too much.

Hints for Today's Connection Group

A few hints to start today's Connections game number 592:

• Yellow: The peak of success
• Green: Something to take a relaxing lunch at the park.
• Blue: A famous fictional archaeologist.
• Purple: They sound like famous politicians.

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

• Yellow: Remove
• Green: Picnic items
• Blue: Part of Indian clothing
• Purple: The rhyme of the name of a US President

Answer to Today's NYT Connections

'Appearance (yellow):'

'Better, explode, surpass, top'

Picnic items (green):

Shopping cart, blanket, refrigerator, utensils

Part of Indian clothing (blue):

Bomb, fedora, satchel, warp

Rhyme of the name of a US President (purple):

Pagan, smart, vixen, broaden

How to Predict Connection Groups

It's impossible to handle Connections quickly and accurately like Wordle because they are not algorithmic. However, keeping a few points in mind can be helpful.

1. Find similar parts of speech. Some words are verbs, while others are nouns? Some are adjectives? Try grouping them imaginatively based on these categories to see if any other patterns emerge.
2. Are the words synonyms? Sometimes, categories can become synonyms or very close synonyms. However, don't rely too much on this. At times, a connection may intentionally include words with the same meaning to mislead you.
3. Try out the words. Sometimes, saying a word helps. In one of the puzzles we saw, the words 'go', 'rate', 'quickly', 'clip', 'pace', 'speed', 'move', 'commute', and 'urgently' were included, and they clearly relate to the idea of movement. However, when you say them, it becomes a bit clear that 'go', 'move', 'urgently', and 'quickly' are the ones you should say to actually move someone.
4. Red herring with the guppy. Connections often include words that can be reasonably grouped together even if they're wrong. For example, think of the words 'blood', 'cola', and 'light'. You might instinctively think these three words belong in a category related to beer, but that's not the case.
5. Look for different words. Try using a word from the board as the basis of a category if it doesn't have multiple meanings or is only used in one context.
6. 'Shuffle the board. Sometimes, changing the position of the words can give you a new perspective on them.'

If you couldn't solve this problem, don't worry—similar challenges may come again tomorrow! And if these words align with topics you're interested in, you can outpace the competition.