Looking for today's Connections answer for puzzle #228 from January 25 is a little trickier than yesterday. The Connections companion rated this puzzle 2.8 out of 5 for difficulty.

We update our Connections hints and tips 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, #227.

There are spoilers for connection 228. Only those who want to know the answer to today's connection should read on.

Alternatively, 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 best wordle starting words as a strategy, the Connections solution depends on identifying 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 are helpful 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 just want the answer, scroll down further.

Now, here's a bigger hint: Be careful of buzzwords, but don't get fined while you let your intuition lead you to the schematic and obvious answer. Sometimes the answer is three inches off the tip of your tongue and three inches off the tip of your nose.

Now for the answer to today's game 228 connection.

Drum roll please.

In today's connection puzzle, words like handsome, regenie, popular, and icon shined before my eyes like red carpet stars, each vying for the spotlight of relevance. I felt like a talent scout, carefully selecting the words that would become the stars of my next movie.

Amidst the flashbulbs and chatter, a solitary hippo certainly caught my eye. What on earth would this hippo be paired with?

But first, I turned to the ancient letters and their digital avatars: Glyph matched Symbol, then Icon, and finally Character nestled in, creating a green category of pictographs on the wall with the precision of a long-forgotten scribe.

Next came the puzzle's stern judges, Charge, Fine, Levy, and (if you ask me) their rather distant cousin Aces. They demanded reparations and completed the blue category with the authoritative stamp of penalties.

Finally, I returned to the hippos, who were patiently swimming alongside Legend, Lipid, and Handsome. I admit that it took me several minutes to see through their disguises and reveal the anatomical structures hidden in the prefixes (hand, hip, leg, and lip). The purple category was unearthed by a clever play on words, starting with body parts.

With a final flourish, the red carpet was rolled up and the puzzle was complete.

This text was read much later in the day. According to Connections Companion, the difficulty level was 2.4 out of 5.

The words clock, calculator, calendar, and camera immediately grabbed my attention today, their "C" badges shining like app icons. All of these digital assistants fit comfortably on my smartphone, bringing structure to my chaotic days.

Ahead of my gaze, the family call beckoned. Mom, Dada, and Grammy were waving at me, trying to get my attention. Who should be added to this list, Putty or Poppy? At one point, we considered a multilingual rollout, but logic prevailed and poppies were chosen to capture the perfect family portrait.

The blue category materialized as if an eye chart were being gradually sharpened before our eyes. All the elements that make up the human eye-the lens, iris, pupil, and cones-aligned to form distinct groups.

The result left me with a curious collection: Pate, Resume, Expose, and Rose. When each word is adorned with an accent marker, its pronunciation and meaning are transformed, acquiring a continental sophistication. With this insight, the purple category was successfully deciphered. [It is a gallery of words that extends from pixel to pupil, from affection to expression.