NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Friday, December 27 (game #565)

Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need clues.

What should you do once you’ve finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I’ve also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc’s Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don’t read on if you don’t want to know the answers.

Today’s NYT Connections words are…

  • TAPS
  • UNICORN
  • IRONS
  • BACON
  • PRESSES
  • PHOENIX
  • CAR
  • BUGLER
  • BRIDGES
  • AFRICA
  • TOAST
  • WASHINGTON
  • GRITS
  • HITS
  • HASH
  • CLICKS

What are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: Morning meal staples 
  • GREEN: On/Off
  • BLUE: Beep beep 
  • PURPLE: And the award goes to…

Need more clues?

We’re firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today’s NYT Connections puzzles…

What are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: BREAKFAST SIDES 
  • GREEN: PUSHES, AS A BUTTON 
  • BLUE: THEY HAVE A HORN 
  • PURPLE: OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS 

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

The answers to today’s Connections, game #565, are…

  • YELLOW: BREAKFAST SIDES BACON, GRITS, HASH, TOAST
  • GREEN: PUSHES, AS A BUTTON CLICKS, HITS, PRESSES, TAPS
  • BLUE: THEY HAVE A HORN AFRICA, BUGLER, CAR, UNICORN
  • PURPLE: OSCAR-WINNING ACTORS BRIDGES, IRONS, PHOENIX, WASHINGTON

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 1 mistake

My first thought when I saw PHOENIX and IRONS in the grid was the actors River and Jeremy. I spent ages trying to think of any films they were in together (I later discovered there are none, but they were both in the Shakespearean TV drama The Hollow Crown). I then convinced myself that they must be connected to Denzil WASHINGTON and Kevin BACON and got the dreaded “one away”.

After connecting the breakfast items I found the correct group for BACON and the rest clicked into place.

The blue group completely threw me. Although it’s true that THEY HAVE A HORN, the type that AFRICA has is very different to the one you’d find in a CAR. Such is the random beauty of Connections.


  • YELLOW: APPROXIMATELY ABOUT, AROUND, LIKE, ROUGHLY
  • GREEN: TREES ELDER, PALM, PINE, SPRUCE
  • BLUE: SIZABLE, AS AN AMOUNT HANDSOME, HEALTHY, RESPECTABLE, TIDY
  • PURPLE: U.S. STATE ABBREVIATIONS, PER AP STYLE GUIDE ALA, ARK, MISS, ORE

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