Spoilers: Connections puzzle #589, published Monday, January 20, 2025, groups its 16 words under TAKE ON, AS A RESPONSIBILITY; CORNERS; ASSOCIATED WITH POPEYE; and ___ SHEET. The complete answers and explanations are below.
January 20 Connections hints
The puzzle asks players to sort 16 words into four sets of four that share a theme. If you want a nudge before seeing the solved groups, consider these category clues:
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- Taking on a duty or obligation
- Places where a line or limb changes direction
- Things associated with a cartoon sailor
- Words that pair with “sheet”
The category names used in the published answer key are TAKE ON, AS A RESPONSIBILITY; CORNERS; ASSOCIATED WITH POPEYE; and ___ SHEET. TechRadar’s January 20 answer guide lists the clues and word bank; Connections Answer’s independent guide corroborates the groups.
Connections #589 answers for January 20
| Category | Answer words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|
| TAKE ON, AS A RESPONSIBILITY | ASSUME, BEAR, HANDLE, SHOULDER | Each can mean to take on or carry a duty. |
| CORNERS | ANGLE, BEND, CROOK, ELBOW | Each can describe a place or point where a line or limb changes direction. |
| ASSOCIATED WITH POPEYE | ANCHOR, FOREARM, PIPE, SPINACH | These are all associated with Popeye. |
| ___ SHEET | BALANCE, CHEAT, COOKIE, FITTED | Each completes a familiar phrase ending in “sheet”: balance sheet, cheat sheet, cookie sheet, and fitted sheet. |
Why the word groups can be tricky
Several words can suggest more than one meaning
ASSUME, BEAR, HANDLE, and SHOULDER work as verbs for accepting or carrying responsibility. Read together, their shared sense is stronger than any one word’s other possible meanings.
#1 Best Overall
The “corners” group uses different kinds of turns
ANGLE and BEND can describe a change in direction; CROOK and ELBOW can refer to a bend or angled part. The group brings together geometric and body-related language rather than four exact synonyms.
The final group is built from phrases
BALANCE, CHEAT, COOKIE, and FITTED belong together because each forms a common compound phrase with “sheet.” Recognizing the phrase pattern distinguishes this group from the Popeye associations.
Rank #2
The original word bank
COOKIE, BEAR, SPINACH, SHOULDER, CROOK, ANCHOR, ELBOW, CHEAT, PIPE, HANDLE, BEND, FOREARM, FITTED, ANGLE, ASSUME, BALANCE.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFor context, the puzzle’s format is a bank of 16 words divided into four groups of four, each linked by a common theme. This description appears in a 2024 paper by Graham Todd, Tim Merino, Sam Earle, and Julian Togelius on automated puzzle solving: “Missed Connections: Lateral Thinking Puzzles for Large Language Models”.
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Rank #3
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