NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Monday, December 30 (game #568)

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…

  • PINK
  • PONY
  • CLUB
  • AIRPLANE
  • GRINDER
  • WATER
  • ANTE
  • HERO
  • WRAP
  • SETTLE
  • JEOPARDY
  • BEANS
  • YAHOO
  • FILTER
  • MELT
  • COUGH

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

  • YELLOW: Sandwich types
  • GREEN: Cup of Joe
  • BLUE: Top level finance
  • PURPLE: Missing punctuation

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: LUNCH ORDERS 
  • GREEN: USED TO MAKE COFFEE 
  • BLUE: PAY, WITH “UP” 
  • PURPLE: NAMES FEATURING “!” 

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 #568, are…

  • YELLOW: LUNCH ORDERS CLUB, HERO, MELT, WRAP
  • GREEN: USED TO MAKE COFFEE BEANS, FILTER, GRINDER, WATER
  • BLUE: PAY, WITH “UP” ANTE, COUGH, PONY, SETTLE
  • PURPLE: NAMES FEATURING “!” AIRPLANE, JEOPARDY, PINK, YAHOO

  • My rating: Hard
  • My score: 3 mistakes

According to Branding Magazine, putting an exclamation mark at the end of a name “brings energy and enthusiasm to the brand identity system”, which makes you wonder why all companies don’t just add an exclamation mark.

Part of the reason why not is what the experts call “tonality” – it wouldn’t work for a funeral care business, for example. When some people see an exclamation mark they imagine the word being shouted – in the newspaper industry they used to call them screamers.

All four NAMES FEATURING “!” employ the mark in different ways – ironic, excited, enthusiastic, and in the case of P!nk, an upturned i.


  • YELLOW: SHADES OF RED BRICK, CHERRY, MAROON, RUBY
  • GREEN: APPOINTMENT SPECIFICATIONS DATE, DURATION, LOCATION, TIME
  • BLUE: DIFFERENT AMOUNTS OF HAIR HEAD, LOCK, STRAND, WISP
  • PURPLE: TREE HOMOPHONES BEACH, FUR, PAIR, YOU

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