NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Thursday, December 19 (game #557)

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…

  • TAP
  • TUG
  • KEG
  • BARREL
  • TABLE
  • SUB
  • BARGE
  • HAMMER
  • COUNTER
  • LADDER
  • GORILLA
  • SHELVE
  • JUNK
  • DELAY
  • STOOL
  • POSTPONE

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

  • YELLOW: Raincheck
  • GREEN: Saloon staples
  • BLUE: Vessels
  • PURPLE: Nintendo classic

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: DEFER
  • GREEN: BAR FIXTURES 
  • BLUE: WATERCRAFT 
  • PURPLE: SEEN IN “DONKEY KONG” 

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 #557, are…

  • YELLOW: DEFER DELAY, POSTPONE, SHELVE, TABLE
  • GREEN: BAR FIXTURES COUNTER, KEG, STOOL, TAP
  • BLUE: WATERCRAFT BARGE, JUNK, SUB, TUG
  • PURPLE: SEEN IN “DONKEY KONG” BARREL, GORILLA, HAMMER, LADDER

  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 2 mistakes

In the mental Venn diagrams I was drawing today, two or three words could have gone in several categories – TABLE (Yellow and Green), JUNK (Yellow and Blue), BARREL (Green and Purple) and I fell for them all…

First I put JUNK instead of TABLE into what would become the Yellow group, then, thinking I was onto a sure thing, put BARREL in the Blue group – Barrel Boats are a thing right? Er… maybe not.

Having never played Donkey Kong (I’m more of a board game person) I was thankful that this group was the leftovers and done for me.


  • YELLOW: DEAL WITH FIELD, HANDLE, MANAGE, TACKLE
  • GREEN: STYLES OF BEER BITTER, BOCK, SOUR, STOUT
  • BLUE: INVESTMENT VERBS HEDGE, HOLD, SHORT, TRADE
  • PURPLE: _DOME CAPITOL, CHROME, ONION, TEAPOT

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