For NYT Connections puzzle #225, from Monday, January 22, 2024, the four themes are symbolic rods, dental terms, words on a rubber stamp, and phrases ending in “year.” Start with the spoiler-free category nudges below; the full groups follow in a separate section.
Hints for Connections #225
Tom’s Guide’s dated answer page identifies this as the January 22, 2024 puzzle #225—not the puzzle for January 22 in another year. Its category hints are:
- Yellow: Potter’s tool
- Green: Open wide
- Blue: Office ink
- Purple: Anniversary
One more nudge from Tom’s Guide: don’t let first impressions steer every grouping. Some words may suggest nobility or mystique, but consider their more straightforward meanings too. See Tom’s Guide’s dated hints and answers.
Answers for Connections #225
Spoilers below: these are the complete groups and their connections.
#1 Best Overall
| Color | Connection | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Symbolic rods | Baton, Scepter, Staff, Wand |
| Green | Dental terms | Cavity, Crown, Filling, Plaque |
| Blue | Words on a rubber stamp | Approved, Paid, Urgent, Void |
| Purple | Words that complete “___ year” | Gap, Leap, Light, School |
How Connections works
The NYT gives players 16 words to sort into four groups of four based on a shared connection. Each group has a color: yellow is the easiest and purple the trickiest. The game is designed so that some words can seem to fit more than one category, though each puzzle has exactly one solution. Read the NYT Help Center’s Connections guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play or replay the puzzle
The daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone, so the date shown as “today” can differ by location. NYT lists the NYT Games app, nytimes.com/games/connections, nytimes.com/theathletic, and the NYT News app as places to play.
Rank #2
To replay an older puzzle such as #225, the official archive includes puzzles dating back to June 12, 2023, and requires a Games or All Access subscription. Archived play affects some statistics but not streaks, and a completed archive puzzle cannot be replayed. Check the NYT Help Center for archive details.
Quick Recap
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