NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Sunday, December 15 (game #553)

(Image credit: New York Times)

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.

NYT Connections today (game #553) – today’s words

(Image credit: New York Times)Today’s NYT Connections words are…

THUMBKEYLEAFSTYLEMACEMARFLAILFLIPSPEARCLOVETANKPEPPERRIFFLEFLOUNDERNUTMEGFLOPNYT Connections today (game #553) – hint #1 – group hintsWhat are some clues for today’s NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: SeasoningsGREEN: Below parBLUE: BrowsingPURPLE: Popular vocalistsNeed 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…

NYT Connections today (game #553) – hint #2 – group answersWhat are the answers for today’s NYT Connections groups?

YELLOW: SPICESGREEN: PERFORM POORLY BLUE: SKIM THROUGH, AS PAGES PURPLE: POP SINGERS MINUS “S” Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #553) – the answers

(Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today’s Connections, game #553, are…

YELLOW: SPICES CLOVE, MACE, NUTMEG, PEPPERGREEN: PERFORM POORLY FLAIL, FLOP, FLOUNDER, TANKBLUE: SKIM THROUGH, AS PAGES FLIP, LEAF, RIFFLE, THUMBPURPLE: POP SINGERS MINUS “S” KEY, MAR, SPEAR, STYLEMy rating: EasyMy score: PerfectAs someone who is known to PERFORM BADLY at Connections, it’s no surprise that I landed on the Green group first today – although I did momentarily think the connection was “Things you do when drunk”.

POP SINGERS MINUS “S” was a good one, especially as SPEAR could have been a weapon along with RIFLE and MACE.

I’m off to listen to Empire State of Mind.

Yesterday’s NYT Connections answers (Saturday, 14 December, game #552)YELLOW: FISH FLUKE, MULLET, SOLE, TANGGREEN: WORDS IN AN AUCTION-ENDING PHRASE GOING, ONCE, SOLD, TWICEBLUE: GLOBAL CURRENCIES POUND, REAL, SOL, YUANPURPLE: WORDS BEFORE “CUP” BUTTER, DIVA, SOLO, WORLDWhat is NYT Connections?NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don’t technically need to solve the final one, as you’ll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What’s more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It’s a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It’s playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs’ eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna’s addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.