Looking for today's Connections answer for puzzle #234 on January 31 is easier than yesterday's and the difficulty level for this puzzle on Connections Companion is 2.8 out of 5.

We update our Connections clues and hints daily. And if the hints aren't enough, you can see all four solutions along with the category title and related words. In addition, for those of you reading this in another time zone, I have included a reflection on yesterday's puzzle #233.

There are spoilers for connection #234. Only those who want to know the answer to today's connection should read on.

Or see our NYT Connections How to Play Guide for tips on how to solve the puzzle without our help.

While today's Wordle solution guide recommends the starting word in Wordle as the strategy, the Connections solution requires you to identify the categories that are connected from the 16 words. The difficulty of each category is represented by a color, with yellow being the easiest grouping and purple the most difficult. Hints will help as the answer is displayed after four wrong guesses.

If you need a hint to solve the groupings, here are each theme in order of difficulty:

If you read these hints, you should at least find the answer to today's connection. If not, please continue reading for larger hints. Also, if you only want to know the answer, scroll down further.

Now for the bigger clues. Get ready for some fun happenings in today's Connections puzzle. Some words have more than one meaning, so make sure you announce your participation with the correct word. And watch your step - sometimes it's easy to fall into the most obvious traps.

Now, what's the answer to today's game #234, Connections?

Drum roll, please.

Today's grid made me feel like I was organizing the most eclectic party in town. I was trying to harmonize "Glee" with the choir and orchestra, but realized that was probably a note too far. I needed to take another look at the guest list.

I found the officiant and instantly thought of church bells. Oh, it was a wedding, not a party. I ushered the caterer, florist, and band to the same table, and to my relief, they all replied with a hearty "yes" to form the green category.

The reception was now in full swing, and Glee had found its rightful place among the rapturous ensemble of Cheer, Mirth, and Festivity. My riddle was also in high spirits.

But the final act. Snakes, tar, orchestra, and barbecue. To be honest, no clear commonalities sprouted in my mind. Upon submission, the answer became clear. Each could be paired with the suffix pit to create a common phrase.

In the end, I was happy to receive a perfect score, even though pit had me severely perplexed in the last category.

Read this later in the hour. According to Connections Companion, the difficulty level was 3.4 out of 5.

I unfolded today's Connections puzzle like the crisp rustle of a fresh morning paper. Chronicle, Sun, Herald, and Star ....... All of these were possibilities, but the press stopped for now because the register could be included. [Croissants, bananas, and mushrooms are all quite good. However, the third breakfast item is too continental. I could only see the possibility of bang(-ers) as a companion, and that seemed a bit of a stretch.

Feeling pressure not to slam Bang, Hammer, Pound, and Slam on the keyboard, I noticed that they had created their own yellow category heading.

I was still convinced that one of the remaining two categories was a list of newspaper names, but of the five candidates, which would fit better: feather, flower, or mushroom? Aha. I knew I could pick up any of them, just like I could pick up a star in Super Mario World.

I returned to the newsstand one last time, where the Chronicle, Herald, Register, and Sun were waiting to be published." Read them all." I cried as I sorted them into the green categories.