1. ties
The two families have very close ties.
They urged close economic and diplomatic ties with Britain.
He's picky about suits and ties.
These ties are different.
But something more than that, that there was a sort of a secondary industry of Byron stuff, you know, that there were Byron neck ties, people wanted to look like Byron.
I have strong emotional ties to the County of Norfolk because I was born and raised there.
We can't sign a contract with them - we already have other ties. The country wants its independence and intends to loosen its ties with Britain.
The bureaucrats maintain solid ties with the gigantic corporations.
His desperate attempts at distancing himself from his old left-wing ties have impressed no one so far.
Being a very particular person he always ties up loose ends whatever he does.
2. connections
He got the job by virtue of his father's connections.
My job search is really going rough. I don't have any connections.
With your connections, you should be able to find a job for Tom.
The police are inquiring into his connections with the criminals.
He has powerful connections in the publishing industry.
We always travel by train so my father goes to a railway station and asks for the most convenient train connections in the information centre.
In its "Eleven Five Plan" (2006 to 2010), the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology pledged to implement phone connections in every village and Internet connections in every town.
This train makes connections with a ferry-boat at Takamatsu.
You should cut off your connections with that group.