NYT Connections today — my hints and answers for Saturday, December 21 (game #559)

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 #559) – today’s words

NYT Connections hints for game 559 on a purple background — (Image credit: New York Times)

Today’s NYT Connections words are…

BAND
SLEIGH
BALONEY
PAN
BUNK
GROUCH
CIRCLE
CANOPY
CROCK
O
STATUETTE
POT
RING
MURPHY
CASSEROLE
HOOP

NYT Connections today (game #559) – hint #1 – group hints

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

YELLOW: Circumference
GREEN: Bake off
BLUE: Sleepy?
PURPLE: What Academy and Wilde have in common

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 #559) – hint #2 – group answers

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

YELLOW: LOOP
GREEN: COOKING VESSELS
BLUE: KINDS OF BEDS
PURPLE: THINGS CALLED “OSCAR”

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

NYT Connections today (game #559) – the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 559 on a purple background — (Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today’s Connections, game #559, are…

YELLOW: LOOP BAND, CIRCLE, HOOP, RING
GREEN: COOKING VESSELS CASSEROLE, CROCK, PAN, POT
BLUE: KINDS OF BEDS BUNK, CANOPY, MURPHY, SLEIGH
PURPLE: THINGS CALLED “OSCAR” BALONEY, GROUCH, O, STATUETTE

My rating: Moderate
My score: 1 mistake

Even though I only had eight words left I still struggled to find one of the two final groups of four today.

I knew BUNK and CANOPY were beds, but couldn’t think of what the other two could be, and used a mistake guessing O, which I thought could be what you call those big circular beds that people with huge houses and extensive collections of soft toys might have. It’s not. But I discovered that the American name for those ingenious beds that fold up against a wall is MURPHY.

Google “Murphy bed” and you’ll discover that accidents, or fear of an accident, are a major concern for owners and prospective owners. It turns out their fears are unfounded – despite its slapstick reputation. A recent report studying 24 years of injuries found that zero fatalities were caused by Murphy Beds. Ceiling fans, on the other hand, cause approximately 25 deaths per year in the US. Every day’s a school day!