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Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →These spoiler-conscious hints are for the New York Times Connections puzzle published Wednesday, January 17, 2024, numbered #220. Read the clues first; the four category names and complete answer groups appear below a clear spoiler warning.
Hints for Connections #220
Try the hints in order, from broadest to most revealing:
- Crunch the numbers.
- A periodic gathering.
- A matter of degree.
- Voices in the air.
The board may seem dominated by numerical terms, but not every word is meant to be counted. Chemistry words have their own connection, and one group points to familiar radio voices. [Tom’s Guide]
How to approach this board
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared property. The New York Times describes yellow as the easiest category and purple as the trickiest; words may appear to fit more than one group. [NYT Help Center]
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- Scan all 16 words before locking in a group; a plausible set may have a competing interpretation.
- Consider more than one meaning or pronunciation for a word, then look for the interpretation that completes a quartet.
- For this board, MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE, and RANGE make the statistics group. BASE, BOND, ELEMENT, and SOLUTION form the chemistry group.
“Rather” is a useful overlap trap: it can look like a surname, but here it is an adjective intensifier. The radio surnames are Glass, Gross, King, and Stern. [Tom’s Guide]
Full answers for January 17, 2024 — spoilers
Stop here if you do not want the solution revealed.
Rank #2
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Data set data | MEAN, MEDIAN, MODE, RANGE |
| Green | Chemistry terms | BASE, BOND, ELEMENT, SOLUTION |
| Blue | Adjective intensifiers | AWFUL, PRETTY, RATHER, REAL |
| Purple | Radio Hall of Fame members | GLASS, GROSS, KING, STERN |
The category labels and all 16 words are reported by both Tom’s Guide and Parade. [Tom’s Guide; Parade]
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When the daily puzzle and archive are available
The NYT Help Center says Connections releases daily at midnight in the player’s local timezone. Its archive requires a qualifying subscription and goes back to June 12, 2023. [NYT Help Center]
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Because the date recurs annually, “January 17” alone can point to a different puzzle in another year. This answer key is specifically for Wednesday, January 17, 2024, puzzle #220.
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