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Need help with NYT Connections puzzle #596, released for January 27, 2025? Start with the spoiler-free hints below, then reveal the category names or full answer key only when you’re ready. Connections releases a new puzzle at midnight in each player’s local time zone, so the date can differ by location.
How Connections works
Connections gives you 16 words to sort into four groups of four that share a theme. Groups are color-coded from yellow, usually the most straightforward, to purple, typically the trickiest. Some words can plausibly fit more than one theme, which is part of the challenge. The New York Times Help Center explains the rules and daily release.
The 16 words in puzzle #596
OLIVE, TYPEWRITER, EXTRA, SAMPLE, BARK, BITE, AXE, SCALES, TWINS, OIL, SHELL, VIRGIN, TASTE, HEDGE MAZE, SKIN, MOUTHFUL
Progressive hints
Stop at any point if you want to keep solving. The clues below move from broad hints to category labels, followed by the complete groups.
#1 Best Overall
Color hints
- Yellow: Snack-size
- Green: Outer layer
- Blue: Cook with this
- Purple: “Here’s Johnny!”
Category-name hints
Spoiler warning: These labels make the intended connections much clearer.
- Small amount of food to try
- Protective coverings in nature
- “Extra virgin olive oil”
- Seen in “The Shining”
Full answer key
Spoiler warning: The complete solution for puzzle #596 follows.
Rank #2
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Small amount of food to try | BITE, MOUTHFUL, SAMPLE, TASTE |
| Green | Protective coverings in nature | BARK, SCALES, SHELL, SKIN |
| Blue | “Extra virgin olive oil” | EXTRA, OIL, OLIVE, VIRGIN |
| Purple | Seen in “The Shining” | AXE, HEDGE MAZE, TWINS, TYPEWRITER |
Why the groups fit
Yellow: Small amount of food to try
A bite, mouthful, sample, or taste can each describe a small portion offered or taken to try food.
Green: Protective coverings in nature
Bark, scales, shell, and skin are natural outer coverings that protect living things.
Blue: “Extra virgin olive oil”
Put the four words together and they form the familiar ingredient phrase “extra virgin olive oil.” The phrase may look like a tempting overlap, but it is the intended group.
Purple: Seen in “The Shining”
The axe, hedge maze, twins, and typewriter are all associated with Stanley Kubrick’s film The Shining.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Playing or revisiting the puzzle
NYT Connections is available through NYT Games platforms. The Help Center says the archive is available to All Access and Games subscribers and reaches back to June 12, 2023; check the current NYT Games access information for applicable terms.
Quick Recap
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