It’s the weekend, which means it’s time to grab a cup of coffee and unwind with the latest Connections puzzle.
The wildly popular brainteaser was launched by The New York Times in June 2023 and has gone on to become the publication’s second-most played game behind Wordle.
Last year, Connections developer and NYT crossword editor Wyna Liu told Newsweek, “It’s exciting that something I care very deeply about is resonating with people.”
Keep reading for Newsweek‘s clues, but be warned: The answers to Saturday’s game will be revealed at the end of this article, so if you’d like to work out it out for yourself, we suggest you scroll with caution.
How to Play ‘Connections’
The rules of Connections are pretty straightforward. Players are given a set of 16 words in a grid format and must separate the words into four groups of four based on a common theme.
For example, in Friday’s puzzle, the words “bitters,” “orange,” “rye” and “sugar” were associated with the category, “Ingredients in an old-fashioned.” This was a blue category.
Once you’ve decided on your four words, you’ll highlight them all and click the “Submit” button. If they’re correct, they’ll flash in the category color they’re associated with and will be removed from the board. If they’re incorrect, however, they will remain on the board.
In need of a little boost while solving? Try clicking the “shuffle” button.
Liu suggests “to wait as long as you can before guessing.” She told Newsweek. “You may see the board and have completely identified the category, seeing five words that could belong in that category.”
Players only get four guesses before the answers will be revealed, so you’ll want to choose wisely to avoid wasting a turn. Luckily, there is no time limit to the game.
‘Connections’ #580 Hints and Clues for Saturday, January 11
Here are Newsweek‘s helpful hints to assist you with Saturday’s puzzle:
Yellow: Terms often associated with a spreadsheet
Green: How you might behave at a professional event
Blue: Popular Olympic sports in the last 25 years
Purple: Words that come before “Court”
‘Connections’ #580 Answers for Saturday, January 11
Yellow Category: DISPLAY OF ROWS AND COLUMNS
Yellow Words: Array, Grid, Matrix, Table
Green Category: THINGS TO DO AT A WORK EVENT
Green Words: Circulate, Converse, Mingle, Network
Blue Category: OLYMPIC EVENTS SINCE 2000
Blue Words: Breaking, Surfing, Taekwondo, Trampoline
Purple Category: ___ COURT
Purple Words: Food, Kangaroo, Supreme, Tennis
Excellent work if you managed to solve #580 correctly, but don’t worry if you didn’t. You’ll get another chance on Sunday when a new game will be available for you to try.
Connections is released at midnight in your local time zone, so be sure to check back with Newsweek for more hints, clues and answers.
Looking for another challenge this weekend? Try giving one of these popular word games a go—like Wordscapes and Lexigo.
The post ‘Connections’ January 11: Answers and Hints for Puzzle #580 appeared first on Newsweek.
