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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsNYT Connections puzzle #217 is the January 14, 2024 edition. If you want to solve it yourself first, start with the spoiler-free clues below; the four categories and word groups appear afterward.
Spoiler-free hints for Connections #217
These clues move from broad to more revealing. Stop when you have enough to make your next guess.
- Settling the score.
- Five-finger discounts.
- A stag party.
- Singularly striding.
Some words on this board invite more than one reading. In particular, “swipe” could point toward a way to pay or to taking something, while several words can also look like men’s names.
Connections #217 answers for January 14
Spoilers below.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Things to pay | Bill, Check, Invoice, Tab |
| Green | Thieve | Pinch, Rob, Steal, Swipe |
| Blue | Male animals | Buck, Bull, Jack, Tom |
| Purple | Legwear, in the singular | Jean, Pant, Short, Tight |
Tom’s Guide reported a 3.6 out of 5 difficulty rating from Connections Companion; that is the Companion’s rating as reported by Tom’s Guide, not an independently verified score. Tom’s Guide’s January 14 guide and WordHint’s solution identify this as the January 14, 2024 puzzle.
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Why the groups can be easy to misread
“Swipe” belongs with taking, not paying
“Swipe” can describe a payment action, but in this set it means to steal. It groups with Pinch, Rob, and Steal.
Bill, Buck, Jack, and Tom are not the category
Those four words may look like men’s names, but the intended connection is male animals: a bill is a male duck, a buck a male deer, a jack a male donkey, and a tom a male cat.
Rank #2
The purple words are singular clothing terms
Jean, Pant, Short, and Tight are singular forms referring to legwear. “Pant” is a useful clue to the intended pattern.
How Connections works
The New York Times describes Connections as a game in which players sort 16 words into four groups of four that share a theme. Yellow is the easiest category and purple the trickiest. The words are designed to create plausible overlaps, even though each puzzle has one intended solution. As the New York Times Help Center explains, “Each puzzle has exactly one solution and is meant to be tricky by having words that could fit into multiple categories.”
Where to play and find the archive
The New York Times Help Center lists the Games app, nytimes.com/games/connections, nytimes.com/theathletic, and the News app as places to play. It says the daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. The Help Center describes an archive reaching back to June 12, 2023, with archive access for All Access and Games subscribers; availability and subscription terms can change.
Quick Recap
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