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 #542) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 542 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • PAN
  • PINE TREE
  • LEAD
  • CANDLE
  • COMPASS
  • LOOFAH
  • TURNTABLE
  • SHEPHERD
  • ATLAS
  • TOILETRIES
  • ECHO
  • GUIDE
  • SEWING KIT
  • HELEN
  • DIRECT
  • JOHNSON

NYT Connections today (game #542) - hint #1 - group hints

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

  • Yellow: Follow
  • Green: Get the point
  • Blue: Ancient figures
  • Purple: Bathroom slang

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…

NYT Connections today (game #542) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: STEER
  • GREEN: THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S
  • BLUE: FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH
  • PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #542) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 542 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #542, are…

  • YELLOW: STEER DIRECT, GUIDE, LEAD, SHEPHERD
  • GREEN: THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S COMPASS, PINE TREE, SEWING KIT, TURNTABLE
  • BLUE: FIGURES IN GREEK MYTH ATLAS, ECHO, HELEN, PAN
  • PURPLE: STARTING WITH SYNONYMS FOR LAVATORY CANDLE, JOHNSON, LOOFAH, TOILETRIES
  • My rating: Moderate
  • My score: 2 mistakes

Hi, Johnny here, taking over Connections duties from Marc for a little while (he'll be back occasionally, I'm sure – and he's still looking after the daily Wordle today page, don't worry about that!).

Being a very easily LEAD person the Yellow group appeared before my eyes instantly. The same could not be said about the rest of today’s words, which – as is very often the case at close to midnight – appeared to be a random jumble of letters.

I attempted a second group that seemed to be about getting somewhere using very ancient tech – COMPASS, CANDLE, ATLAS and err ECHO which is nature’s GPS (if you’re in a cave or Alpine valley with someone who can yodel).

Getting this one wrong I used up another mistake guessing that CANDLE, SEWING KIT, LOOFAH, TOILETRIES were all presents you’d buy your Grandmother.

Then sense took hold and grasping at some threadbare knowledge of Greek mythology I bundled together ATLAS, HELEN and PAN and took a gamble on ECHO. This made finding THINGS WITH NEEDLE/S to be much easier, after which the final four revealed themselves, making me feel slightly defeated. Oh, dear Connections, you destroyer of souls...

How did you do today? Send me an email and let me know.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Tuesday, 3 December, game #541)

  • YELLOW: SOPRANOS CARMELA, JUNIOR, MEADOW, TONY
  • GREEN: FAMILIAL NICKNAMES CUZ, GRAMMY, MUMMY, POP
  • BLUE: “SESAME STREET” CHARACTERS COOKIE, COUNT, OSCAR, SNUFFY
  • PURPLE: NAMES THAT SOUND LIKE TWO LETTERS CECE, EDIE, EMMY, KATIE

What 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.