New York Times Connections Hints and Answers for #573 January 4, 2025

1. None of these groups are themed around bugs or small critters.

2. None of the categories are about hitting someone.

3. Clock and Melting are in the same category.

Here are some hints for the yellow/straightforward answer: Squish in your hands, collapse into a ball.

The category for the yellow/straightforward Connections is Crush into a Compact Shape.

The answer to the yellow/straightforward Connections is Crush into a Compact Shape.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Ball, Crumple, Scrunch, Wad.

Here are some hints for the green/medium difficulty answer in this browser game: Other things you could put in this category: buttons, zipper.

The category for the green/medium difficulty Connections is Fasteners.

The answer to the green/medium difficulty Connections is Fasteners.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Buckle, Clip, Hook, Snap.

Here are some hints for the blue/difficult answer: This one is finally done! Onto the next on the list!

The category for the blue/difficult Connections is Mark as Completed.

The answer to the blue/difficult Connections is Mark as Completed.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Check, Cross, Strike, Tick.

Here are some hints for the purple/tricky answer in this minimalist puzzle game: Things find within a damous Dali painting.

The category for the purple/tricky difficulty in Connections is Depicted in Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory.”

The answer to the purple/tricky difficulty in Connections is Depicted in Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory.”

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Ant, Branch, Clock, Melting.

• Yellow – Crush into a Compact Shape: Ball, Crumple, Scrunch, Wad
• Green – Fasteners: Buckle, Clip, Hook, Snap
• Blue – Mark as Completed: Check, Cross, Strike, Tick
• Purple – Depicted in Dali’s “The Persistence of Memory”: Ant, Branch, Clock, Melting