Welcome to 2025! It’s the start of a new year, and that means a fresh puzzle wall to tackle in the New York Times’s Connections game. If you’re trying to maintain your winning streak and just need a little help with that final tricky category, you’re in luck—we’ve got all the hints you need!
Below, you’ll find everything from subtle clues to direct answers. Whether you’re looking for a slight push in the right direction or a clever way to keep your record clean, you’ve arrived at the perfect spot.
If you’ve found yourself here by mistake and need answers for December 31, click here.
Category Hints
We’ll provide hints from the easiest category to the hardest, following the order of the puzzle—Yellow, Green, Blue, and finally Purple.
If you’re looking for today’s category hints, click below. These hints won’t reveal the categories but will guide you along.
The yellow category today is all about slippery animals. A few of them are quite adorable, too.
The green category features items that shine.
The blue category centers on well-known symbols associated with a European nation.
The purple category involves words that end with synonyms for “plunge.”
Note: Eels may only emit light in cartoons. There is no general ‘animals’ category—today’s categories are more specific. There are many water-themed words, but they don’t form a category on their own.
Today’s Answers
We only lost one life today—yes, at one point, we considered that eels might light up!
If you want today’s answers, click below!
Here are today’s answers:
Yellow Category: Slimy Animals
Earthworm, Eel, Salamander, Slug
Green Category: Things That Glow
Aurora, Firefly, Glowstick, Radium
Blue Category: Symbols of the Netherlands
Canal, Clog, Tulip, Windmill
Purple Category: Words Ending in Synonyms for “Dive”
Gatecrash, Raindrop, Skydive, Waterfall
