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Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →These hints and answers are for NYT Connections puzzle #549, published Wednesday, December 11, 2024—not today’s current puzzle. Start with the clues below if you want a nudge before seeing the complete solution.
Hints for Connections #549
Each group contains four words linked by a shared idea. The four clues below move from broad category hints to more specific wordplay:
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- Yellow: Dreamland
- Green: … rattle and roll
- Blue: Two become one
- Purple: They’ll be there for you
For a less revealing approach, try spotting direct meanings first, then look at how the remaining words are formed or what their endings have in common. Check all sixteen entries before committing to a tempting partial set; the game allows up to four mistakes, according to TechRadar’s guide.
Answers for Connections #549
Spoilers below: the category names and all sixteen answers are revealed.
#1 Best Overall
| Color | Category | Words | Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | UTOPIA | PARADISE, SEVENTH HEAVEN, SHANGRI-LA, XANADU | Each can describe an ideal or paradisiacal place. |
| Green | THINGS YOU SHAKE | HAIRSPRAY, MAGIC 8 BALL, SALAD DRESSING, SNOWGLOBE | Each is commonly shaken. |
| Blue | PROPER NOUN PORTMANTEAUX | JAZZERCISE, PARALYMPICS, POKÉMON, WIKIPEDIA | Each name combines elements into a portmanteau. |
| Purple | ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR “FRIEND” | KETCHUM, PAYPAL, PRIMATE, ROSEBUD | The endings are chum, pal, mate, and bud. |
Why the last two groups are tricky
Blue: compound names
The blue set depends on word formation rather than a shared everyday object or idea: JAZZERCISE, PARALYMPICS, POKÉMON, and WIKIPEDIA are proper-noun portmanteaux. Look for words whose parts have been blended into a name.
Purple: the connection is at the end
In the purple set, the friend-related word appears at the end: KETCHUM ends in chum, PAYPAL in pal, PRIMATE in mate, and ROSEBUD in bud. The words themselves do not all mean “friend”; their endings supply the link.
How to use the hints without spoiling the board
- Try the direct semantic connection first: the UTOPIA group consists of PARADISE, SEVENTH HEAVEN, SHANGRI-LA, and XANADU.
- Look for things that are physically shaken among the remaining words: HAIRSPRAY, MAGIC 8 BALL, SALAD DRESSING, and SNOWGLOBE.
- For the final eight, test whether the words are blended names or end in a synonym for “friend.”
- Before selecting a quartet, review all sixteen words to make sure a plausible-looking partial group is not a decoy. The independent ConnectionsHint analysis also notes elimination as a useful way to resolve ambiguity.
What puzzle #549 included
The board’s sixteen entries were HAIRSPRAY, ROSEBUD, POKÉMON, PRIMATE, XANADU, JAZZERCISE, KETCHUM, SNOWGLOBE, PARALYMPICS, PAYPAL, PARADISE, WIKIPEDIA, SEVENTH HEAVEN, SALAD, DRESSING, and MAGIC 8 BALL. SALAD and DRESSING appear as separate entries on the board; together they form the answer SALAD DRESSING.
Connections presents sixteen entries to sort into four groups of four, with each group assigned a difficulty color. TechRadar’s puzzle guide describes play through NYT Games on desktop or mobile; access terms and availability can change.
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