Spoiler warning: This page contains the complete solution to NYT Connections #558, published on Friday, December 20, 2024. Use the grid and graduated hints first if you want to keep solving before seeing the answers.
Spoiler warning: This guide reveals the answers to NYT Connections #558, the puzzle published on Friday, December 20, 2024. If you are still solving, start with the word grid and graduated hints below before opening the full answer section.
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The 16 words in Connections #558
Try to divide these words into four groups of four:
- WHALE
- COCKTAIL
- FINANCE
- QUESTION
- STATEMENT
- SOLUTION
- GROWN
- WINE
- TECH
- COMMAND
- COMPOUND
- CRYPTO
- MOWN
- PHARMA
- EXCLAMATION
- MIXTURE
Hints for NYT Connections #558
These clues move from broad category ideas to more revealing examples. Stop as soon as you have enough to finish the puzzle yourself.
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Light hints
- Yellow: Think of different kinds of mixtures.
- Green: Think of grammatical sentence types.
- Blue: Think of different kinds of “bros.”
- Purple: Say the words aloud. They sound like complaints or expressions of discontent.
Stronger hints
- Yellow: COCKTAIL belongs with three other terms for combinations or preparations.
- Green: QUESTION belongs with other familiar grammatical forms.
- Blue: CRYPTO is one type of “bro.”
- Purple: WINE sounds like “whine.”
Spoilers: the answers to Connections #558
Yellow: CONCOCTION
COCKTAIL, COMPOUND, MIXTURE, SOLUTION
Each word can describe something made by bringing ingredients, substances, or components together. A cocktail is a blended drink; a compound, mixture, and solution are combinations of substances or components. The words do not all describe exactly the same kind of preparation, but they share the idea of a concoction.
Green: TYPES OF SENTENCES
COMMAND, EXCLAMATION, QUESTION, STATEMENT
These are recognizable grammatical sentence types. A command gives an instruction, an exclamation expresses strong feeling, a question asks something, and a statement makes an assertion.
Blue: KINDS OF BROS
CRYPTO, FINANCE, PHARMA, TECH
Put each word before “bro” and the connection appears: crypto bro, finance bro, pharma bro, and tech bro. This group is built from informal compound phrases, not from a narrower technical classification of the four industries.
Purple: COMPLAINT HOMOPHONES
GROWN, MOWN, WHALE, WINE
The trick is based on sound rather than meaning. When spoken aloud, the words resemble complaint-related terms: GROWN sounds like “groan,” MOWN like “moan,” WHALE like “wail,” and WINE like “whine.” The spellings in the grid are deliberately different from the words suggested by their pronunciation.
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| Group | Words | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | COCKTAIL, COMPOUND, MIXTURE, SOLUTION | Concoction |
| Green | COMMAND, EXCLAMATION, QUESTION, STATEMENT | Types of sentences |
| Blue | CRYPTO, FINANCE, PHARMA, TECH | Kinds of “bros” |
| Purple | GROWN, MOWN, WHALE, WINE | Complaint homophones |
The two less literal groups are Blue and Purple: Blue requires adding “bro” after each word, while Purple requires reading the words aloud and recognizing their complaint-like sound-alikes.
Frequently Asked Questions
NYT Connections #558 was published on Friday, December 20, 2024.
NYT Connections #558 was published on which date?
The Purple group is the most wordplay-based: GROWN, MOWN, WHALE, and WINE sound like “groan,” “moan,” “wail,” and “whine.” Blue is also indirect because each word forms a phrase when followed by “bro.”
What is the hardest-to-spot group in Connections #558?
The groups are CONCOCTION; TYPES OF SENTENCES; KINDS OF BROS; and COMPLAINT HOMOPHONES.
What are the four groups in Connections #558?
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Bottom Line
NYT Connections #558 answers: Yellow—COCKTAIL, COMPOUND, MIXTURE, SOLUTION; Green—COMMAND, EXCLAMATION, QUESTION, STATEMENT; Blue—CRYPTO, FINANCE, PHARMA, TECH; Purple—GROWN, MOWN, WHALE, WINE.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
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