Navigating today’s New York Times Connections puzzle feeling a bit like scaling a mountain? You’re not alone! The Connections puzzle for January 17th, puzzle #586, has been rated a challenging 3.5 out of 5 by the Connections Companion, making it significantly tougher than yesterday’s game. Here at Tom’s Guide Connections, we’re your expert resource to conquer this brain-teaser.
Daily, Tom’s Guide provides updated Connections hints and tips, crafted to assist you in uncovering all four categories and maintaining your winning streak. If you find yourself needing more than just a nudge, we’ve got you covered with the complete answers, category titles, and the associated words, all listed below.
Plus, for those catching up or in a different time zone, we’ve included a recap of yesterday’s puzzle, #584.
Spoiler alert! Answers for Connections #586 are ahead. Proceed only if you want today’s Connections solutions.
For those who prefer to tackle the puzzle independently, Tom’s Guide also offers a comprehensive how to play NYT Connections guide, packed with strategies to enhance your puzzle-solving skills without relying on daily hints.
Tom’s Guide Connections Hints for January 17th Puzzle #586
New York Times Connections puzzle January 17, 2025
(Image credit: New York Times)
Unlike our insights into today’s Wordle answer, where starting words are crucial, solving Connections hinges on identifying the hidden thematic links between 16 seemingly disparate words. Each category in Connections is marked by a color representing its difficulty – yellow for the easiest, and purple for the most challenging. Remember, you only have four missteps before the answers are revealed, so Tom’s Guide hints are here to guide you strategically.
Today’s Connections words are: Hit, Opera, Banger, Rosebud, Pepperoni, Bop, Edge, Link, Tap, Contrabass, Brat, Safari, Autoharp, Chrome, Knock, and Sausage.
Need a little nudge to connect the dots? Tom’s Guide has compiled theme hints for each category, ordered from easiest to hardest:
- 🟨 Yellow: Think ballpark food
- 🟩 Green: Actions that can be described as striking
- 🟦 Blue: Explore the internet with these
- 🟪 Purple: Beer brands hiding in plain sight
These hints from Tom’s Guide should give you a solid start in cracking today’s Connections puzzle. Still stumped? Read on for even broader clues. Or, if you’re ready for the solution, keep scrolling!
Larger Tom’s Guide Hint: Imagine enjoying game day snacks while browsing the web and listening to some popular songs.
Tom’s Guide Connections Answers for January 17th Puzzle #586
Ready for the Tom’s Guide Connections answers for puzzle #586?
Here they are:
- 🟨 Frankfurter: BANGER, BRAT, LINK, SAUSAGE
- 🟩 Strike: BOP, HIT, KNOCK, TAP
- 🟦 Web browsers: CHROME, EDGE, OPERA, SAFARI
- 🟪 Ending with beer brands: AUTOHARP, CONTRABASS, PEPPERONI, ROSEBUD
Today’s Connections puzzle is tricky not because of obscure categories, but because of clever word traps designed to mislead you.
Like many, I initially stumbled into a “hit songs” trap with ‘bop,’ ‘hit,’ and ‘banger.’ However, realizing the category was incomplete, I recalibrated and landed on ‘knock’ and ‘tap’ to correctly identify the “Strike” category.
The “Web browsers” category, featuring Chrome, Edge, Opera, and Safari, was a quicker solve. These are all familiar names in the world of internet navigation, and a straightforward connection for tech-savvy solvers.
Moving on, I briefly considered ‘pepperoni’ fitting with the “Strike” group, but then grouped ‘banger,’ ‘brat,’ ‘sausage,’ and ‘pepperoni’ together, initially thinking of a meat or deli category. ‘Link’ then solidified the “Frankfurter” group, although it took a moment to consider which word to swap out from my initial meat group.
The purple “Ending with beer brands” category was the most elusive. It wasn’t immediately obvious, but upon closer inspection, the beer brands are subtly embedded within the words: autoharp, contrabass, pepperoni, and rosebud. A clever and challenging category to finish with!
Yesterday’s Tom’s Guide Connections Answers – January 16th, Puzzle #585
- 🟨 Buying and selling: BUSINESS, COMMERCE, MARKET, TRADE
- 🟩 Installed on a wall: BASEBOARD, OUTLET, SCONCE, SWITCH
- 🟦 Spy: AGENT, ASSET, MOLE, PLANT
- 🟪 ____ Rat: GYM, MALL, PACK, RUG
Catching up in a different time zone? These were the Tom’s Guide Connections answers for game #585. This puzzle was rated a milder 2 out of 5 in difficulty by the [Connections Companion](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/crosswords/connections-companion-585.html).
Yesterday’s puzzle, being less difficult, allowed for a more straightforward solve. I aimed for the purple category first, but ironically, the blue “Spy” category emerged first.
‘Agent,’ ‘asset,’ ‘mole,’ and ‘plant’ immediately suggested the theme of espionage. It almost made me want to revisit some classic spy movies!
Redemption came with the purple category next. Once the green category became clear and ‘rug’ stood alone, the “____ Rat” connection clicked. ‘Rug Rats’ cartoon nostalgia kicked in, quickly followed by ‘pack rat,’ ‘gym rat,’ and ‘mall rat’ – a nod to the Kevin Smith film, which is still somewhat relevant today.
Then, the green category, “Installed on a wall,” was easily identified with ‘baseboard,’ ‘outlet,’ ‘sconce,’ and ‘switch’ – all common fixtures in home interiors.
Finally, I was left with ‘business,’ ‘commerce,’ ‘market,’ and ‘trade.’ While “retail” seemed like a possible category title, “Buying and selling” accurately captured the essence of these terms.
Check back with Tom’s Guide Connections tomorrow for more hints and answers to the daily NYT Connections puzzle!
