Connections #589 was the NYT’s Monday, January 20, 2025 puzzle. The 16-word board splits into four groups: responsibility verbs, corners, Popeye associations, and words that can come before “sheet.” Hints appear first below; the complete spoiler answer key follows.
Hints for Connections #589
Use these progressively clearer clues before revealing the word groups:
- Yellow: Control the situation.
- Green: You go around these.
- Blue: Musclebound sailorman.
- Purple: Add a word that rhymes with “neat.”
Connections allows up to four incorrect guesses. Watch for words that can fit more than one idea, including homophones and phrase-based wordplay. SPINACH is a strong starting point because of its obvious Popeye association; after that, look for familiar compounds such as “___ sheet.”
The 16 words on the board
COOKIE, BEAR, SPINACH, SHOULDER, CROOK, ANCHOR, ELBOW, CHEAT, PIPE, HANDLE, BEND, FOREARM, FITTED, ANGLE, ASSUME, BALANCE.
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Connections #589 answers
Yellow: Take on, as a responsibility
ASSUME, BEAR, HANDLE, SHOULDER
Each verb can mean accepting or carrying a duty, burden or responsibility.
Green: Corners
ANGLE, BEND, CROOK, ELBOW
These words can describe a turn, corner or angular part of something.
Blue: Associated with Popeye
ANCHOR, FOREARM, PIPE, SPINACH
Popeye is linked with spinach, his muscular forearms, a pipe and his sailor identity, represented here by an anchor.
Purple: Words before “sheet”
BALANCE, CHEAT, COOKIE, FITTED
The resulting phrases are balance sheet, cheat sheet, cookie sheet and fitted sheet.
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The dated guide rated the puzzle “Hard” and reported three mistakes in the writer’s own solve. SPINACH reportedly made the Popeye group apparent, while FOREARM was harder to place. That account reflects one solver’s experience, not an independent difficulty test.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play
NYT Connections #589 is the digital daily puzzle available through the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile. The game presents 16 words and asks you to sort them into four groups of four. This answer guide covers the January 20, 2025 edition specifically; it is not a guide to a physical game or a related product.
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