The *New York Times*’ “Connections” word game continues to captivate players with its addictive blend of challenge and intellectual stimulation. The puzzle for January 5th, 2025, proved particularly challenging for many. This article provides hints and the solution to help you conquer this brain teaser.
How to Play “Connections”
The game presents a grid of sixteen words. The objective is to divide these words into four distinct groups, each containing four words with a common theme. The difficulty of each category is color-coded: yellow (easiest), followed by green, blue, and purple (hardest). After selecting four words for a category, players submit their choice. If correct, the category’s assigned color will appear.
Hints for January 5th’s “Connections” Puzzle
To aid your puzzle-solving efforts, consider these hints for Sunday’s game:
* Group 1: Words that evoke a sense of stillness or quiet.
* Group 2: Terms that describe ways of making money or profit.
* Group 3: Control functions commonly found on electronic devices.
* Group 4: Items or actions associated with a type of percussion.
Behind the Scenes of “Connections”
The creative process behind the game’s design is as intriguing as the puzzles themselves. “Connections” editor Wyna Liu, in a July 2024 interview with *Slate*, shed light on her approach: She begins with a core idea, a “seed,” from a notebook of potential categories. From this seed, she branches out, exploring related words and their potential connections, often discovering surprising categories along the way. This iterative process, she explains, is one of the most rewarding aspects of game development.
The Solution to the January 5th Puzzle
The solution to the January 5th, 2025, “Connections” puzzle is as follows:
* Hardly Bustling: CALM, QUIET, SLEEPY, SLOW
* Earn: GROSS, MAKE, NET, YIELD
* Remote Control Functions: HOME, MUTE, STOP, VOLUME
* Words Before “Drum”: EAR, KETTLE, OIL, SNARE