Connections is back with yet another brain-teasing puzzle designed to keep you thinking. To emerge victorious, you must correctly categorize all sixteen words into their respective groups while making fewer than four mistakes. The only clue you’ll receive? The words themselves.
If you’re already well-versed in how Connections works, you know just how challenging it can get. Need a hand? This guide is here to assist you with hints, spoilers, category insights, and more.
Words in the NYT Connections Puzzle #585 for January 16, 2025

The puzzle features these words: Market, Switch, Plant, Mall, Trade, Gym, Outlet, Asset, Rug, Business, Mole, Sconce, Pack, Agent, Baseboard, and Commerce.
Hints for the NYT Connections Puzzle
If you're stuck and require a nudge—or even a spoiler—to point you in the right direction, you'll find them here. Click the "Read More" button for each section to reveal its content.
General Hints for the Entire Puzzle
- None of these words refer to common places or locations where you’d shop or run errands.
- Asset and Mole belong in the same group.
- Mall and Pack share a category.
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Yellow NYT Connections Category Hints
Hints for the straightforward yellow category: Think about economic exchanges.
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Yellow Connections Category Answer
The yellow category is Buying and Selling.
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Yellow Connections Category Answer and All Four Words
The answer to the yellow category is Buying and Selling.
The words in this group are:
- Business
- Commerce
- Market
- Trade
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Green NYT Connections Category Hints
Hints for the green category: Consider items you might install on a wall, like a fireplace, TV, or window.
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Green Connections Category Answer
The green category is Installed On a Wall.
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Green Connections Category Answer and All Four Words
The answer to the green category is Installed On a Wall.
The words in this group are:
- Baseboard
- Outlet
- Sconce
- Switch
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Blue NYT Connections Category Hints
Hints for the blue category: Think about informers and operatives.
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Blue Connections Category Answer
The blue category is Spy.
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Blue Connections Category Answer and All Four Words
The answer to the blue category is Spy.
The words in this group are:
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Purple NYT Connections Category Hints
Hints for the tricky purple category: These words can combine with a three-letter animal name to form common objects.
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Purple Connections Category Answer
The purple category is ___ Rat.
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Purple Connections Category Answer and All Four Words
The answer to the purple category is ___ Rat.
The words in this group are:
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Full Answers for Today's NYT Connections #585 for January 16, 2025
- Yellow - Buying and Selling: Business, Commerce, Market, Trade
- Green - Installed On a Wall: Baseboard, Outlet, Sconce, Switch
- Blue - Spy: Agent, Asset, Mole, Plant
- Purple - ___ Rat: Gym, Mall, Pack, Rug
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Want to Play?
Head over to the New York Times Games Connections website. Available on nearly any device with a browser, it’s the perfect way to sharpen your mind and have some fun!