A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #597
hints & answers for January 28, 2025

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows January 28, 2025. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, C, J and L. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CARD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FUNNY PERSON

Reveal all four words
  • CARD
  • CHARACTER
  • JOKER
  • LAUGH

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, B, D and M. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BAND belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

RESISTANCE TRAINING EQUIPMENT

Reveal all four words
  • BAND
  • BENCH
  • DUMBBELL
  • MAT

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, M, M and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

AIRHEAD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CANDY BARS MINUS “S”

Reveal all four words
  • AIRHEAD
  • MAR
  • MOUND
  • SNICKER

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try putting the same beginning before each entry.

Show one word

BUMP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SPEED ___

Reveal all four words
  • BUMP
  • CHESS
  • DEMON
  • DIAL

Each entry comes after "SPEED" to form a word, expression or name: BUMP → SPEED BUMP; CHESS → SPEED CHESS; DEMON → SPEED DEMON; DIAL → SPEED DIAL.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: FUNNY PERSON
  • Green: RESISTANCE TRAINING EQUIPMENT
  • Blue: CANDY BARS MINUS “S”
  • Purple: SPEED ___

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

FUNNY PERSON

CARD · CHARACTER · JOKER · LAUGH

Green

RESISTANCE TRAINING EQUIPMENT

BAND · BENCH · DUMBBELL · MAT

Blue

CANDY BARS MINUS “S”

AIRHEAD · MAR · MOUND · SNICKER

Purple

SPEED ___

BUMP · CHESS · DEMON · DIAL

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.