Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNYT Connections #579, published January 10, 2025, asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four. The hints below move from broad clues to the full answers, including the trickiest connections: words meaning “be contingent on” and the Monty Hall problem.
How Connections Works
Find four sets of four words that share a theme. The board includes words that can seem to fit more than one group, so check each proposed connection against all four entries.
The 16 Words
SUGAR, GOAT, RELAX, ORANGE, HOST, REST, DOOR, HINGE, EASY, RYE, DEPEND, CAR, RELY, CHILL, ENOUGH, BITTERS
Progressive Hints by Difficulty Color
- Yellow: Be contingent on.
- Green: A phrase or expression meaning “calm down.”
- Blue: Ingredients or customary components in a classic cocktail.
- Purple: Objects and people in a famous probability puzzle.
Spoilers: Connections #579 Answers
Stop here if you want to solve the board before seeing the word groups.
The Tool Desk
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| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Be contingent on | DEPEND, HINGE, RELY, REST |
| Green | “Calm down” | CHILL, EASY, ENOUGH, RELAX |
| Blue | Ingredients in an Old Fashioned | BITTERS, ORANGE, RYE, SUGAR |
| Purple | Featured in the Monty Hall problem | CAR, DOOR, GOAT, HOST |
Why the Connections Work
Yellow: Be contingent on
“Depend on,” “hinge on,” “rely on,” and “rest on” all express dependence or contingency. REST is the less obvious entry: in “rest on,” it means to be based on or dependent upon something.
Green: “Calm down”
CHILL and RELAX can be commands to calm down. EASY appears in “take it easy,” and ENOUGH can be used as an expression telling someone to stop or calm down.
Rank #2
Blue: Ingredients in an Old Fashioned
RYE, SUGAR, BITTERS, and ORANGE point to familiar ingredients or customary components of an Old Fashioned. Recipes vary; here, ORANGE refers to the garnish, while RYE identifies a whiskey style.
Purple: Featured in the Monty Hall problem
The classic probability puzzle uses a game-show scenario involving a CAR behind one of several doors, a HOST who reveals a door hiding a GOAT, and the contestant’s choice of whether to switch. In the standard setup, the host knows where the car is and deliberately reveals a goat.
FAQ
What is the trickiest word in Connections #579?
REST is easy to mistake for a relaxation word, but it belongs with DEPEND, HINGE, and RELY in phrases expressing dependence, such as “rest on.”
Why is EASY in the “calm down” group?
EASY fits the expression “take it easy,” which can mean to relax or calm down.
What does the purple category refer to?
It refers to the Monty Hall problem, a probability puzzle based on a game-show scenario with doors, a car, goats, and a host.
Quick Recap
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