Connections by The New York Times has become one of the most popular daily word games, blending entertainment with a brain-teasing challenge. The game requires players to identify relationships between words, ranging from simple associations to more abstract connections.
Today’s January 4, 2025 puzzle was particularly tricky, leaving many players scratching their heads. We’ve got you covered if you want hints or the final solution.
How to Play Connections
In Connections, players are presented with a grid of 16 words. The goal is to sort these words into four groups based on shared characteristics or themes. Each category is color-coded based on difficulty:
- Yellow: The easiest category.
- Green: Slightly more challenging.
- Blue: Moderately difficult.
- Purple: The hardest group, often requiring abstract thinking.
Once you’ve identified a group, select the four words and click “Submit.” If correct, the group will be marked in its corresponding color. If not, you’ll need to rethink your selections. Players have a limited number of guesses, so strategic thinking is key.
Hints for January 4, 2025
If today’s game had you stumped, here are some helpful hints to point you in the right direction:
- Ways to crush something into a smaller shape.
- Items that help keep things in place.
- Ways to show something is done or resolved.
- Objects and symbols in Salvador Dalí’s famous painting, The Persistence of Memory.
Today’s Final Answer
Here is the solution for January 4, 2025, with each group explained:
- Crush Into a Compact Shape:
- BALL
- CRUMPLE
- SCRUNCH
- WAD
These words describe actions that compress or reshape objects into smaller forms, like crumpling paper or scrunching fabric.
- Fasteners:
- BUCKLE
- CLIP
- HOOK
- SNAP
These words are all types of fasteners designed to secure or hold things together, such as buckling a belt or hooking a bag strap.
- Mark as Completed:
- CHECK
- CROSS
- STRIKE
- TICK
These terms indicate a task has been completed, such as checking off a list or striking through text.
- Depictions in Dalí’s The Persistence of Memory:
- ANT
- BRANCH
- CLOCK
- MELTING
Salvador Dalí’s surreal painting famously features melting clocks, ants, and a barren branch, all symbolizing the fluidity and fragility of time.
Behind the Scenes: Making Connections
Wyna Liu, the editor of Connections, spoke about the creative process in an interview with Slate in July 2024. Liu shared how she develops the game, starting with category ideas:
“The process is I have a notebook where I keep down category ideas,” Liu said. “And when I sit down to make boards, I’ll take one of those ideas, I’ll take those words, and then I’ll start spinning off of them.”
Liu explained that game creation is an evolving process, where themes and word relationships can take unexpected turns. “Sometimes it goes in surprising directions. I start with a seed, and then I’m just like, ‘Oh, what does this word do?’ and the brain builds from that,” she added.
Tips for Playing Connections
- Start with obvious relationships: Look for words that clearly share a common theme. For example, “CRUMPLE” and “SCRUNCH” easily suggest compacting or crushing.
- Save the trickiest group for last: The purple category often requires more abstract thinking, so work through the easier ones first.
- Use process of elimination: If a word doesn’t fit into any remaining group, it might help you identify where it belongs.
Connections continue to entertain and challenge players daily. Whether you solved today’s puzzle or needed a little help, the fun is in the learning! Stay tuned for tomorrow’s game on The New York Times.
