Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has some fun categories. The purple one really requires you to be extra-observant and make those mental connections. Read on for hints and today’s Connections answers.

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Boss them around.

Green group hint: They keep the doctor away.

Blue group hint: Footwear.

Purple group hint: Same backwards and forwards.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Command

Green group: How do you like them apples?

Blue group: Shoe brands starting with “C.”

Purple group: Starting with palindromic names.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is command.

The four answers are captain, direct, head and lead.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is how do you like them apples?

The four answers are Empire, Fuji, Gala and Honeycrisp.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is shoe brands starting with “C.”

The four answers are Camper, Clarks, Converse and Crocs.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is starting with palindromic names.

The four answers are Annapolis (Anna), bobsled (Bob), Everest (Eve) and ottoman (Otto).

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.

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