Today’s NYT Connections puzzle features some entertaining categories and poses a bit of a challenge. 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: Mary Lou Retton.

Green group hint: They share a shape.

Blue group hint: Think cars with a clutch.

Purple group hint: Add to cart.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Gymnastics apparatus.

Green group: Long tapered things.

Blue group: Kinds of shifts.

Purple group: Icons on a shopping site.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is gymnastics apparatus.

The four answers are beam, horse, rings and vault.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is long tapered things.

The four answers are carrot, icicle, knitting needle and stalactite.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is kinds of shifts.

The four answers are Doppler, graveyard, paradigm and stick.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is icons on a shopping site.

The four answers are bell, cart, heart and magnifying glass.

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. See full bio