NYT Connections Today: Hints and Answer for May 1, 2025
The NYT Connections puzzle for May 1, 2025 brings another brain-teasing challenge with clever word associations and unexpected groupings. Whether you’re stuck on a tricky category or aiming to avoid using up your limited guesses, this guide will provide all the hints, categories, and answers to help you solve puzzle #690 quickly and correctly.
What Is the NYT Connections Game?
Connections is a daily word association game by The New York Times, where players must organize 16 given words into four distinct categories of related meanings.
- Each puzzle appears as a 4×4 grid filled with unrelated-seeming words.
- The goal is to identify four connected groups, each containing exactly four words.
- Categories range in difficulty from Yellow (easiest) to Purple (hardest), testing both knowledge and intuition.
This engaging challenge has quickly become a favorite for fans of Wordle and Spelling Bee alike.
Hints for Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle – May 1, 2025
To avoid spoilers, start with these hints before scrolling to the answers. They provide gentle nudges without giving away full solutions:
- Yellow Category – You hope to receive these after achieving something
- Think rewards and earned prizes.
- Green Category – Often done when someone quits a bad habit
- Actions like quitting smoking or drinking fall here.
- Blue Category – Associated with film direction and cinematography
- These words refer to specific camera movements in movies.
- Purple Category – Prefixes that create small-size meanings when added to “-size”
- All these words commonly appear before “size” to imply something compact.
These clues will help narrow down the list and make smarter connections between words.
NYT Connections Categories for May 1, 2025
For those ready to go further, here are the official categories used in today’s puzzle:
- Yellow – WINNINGS
- Green – STOP, AS A HABIT
- Blue – MOVIE CAMERA VERBS
- Purple – WORDS THAT PRECEDE “-SIZE” TO MEAN SMALL
Each category groups together words with subtle but consistent connections.
Today’s NYT Connections Answers – May 1, 2025
If you’re still stuck, here are the correct groupings and answers for Connections #690:
- WINNINGS – Pot, Prize, Purse, Reward
- Common words used to describe gains from contests or gambling.
- STOP, AS A HABIT – Break, Drop, Kick, Shake
- Verbs that describe quitting habits or behaviors.
- MOVIE CAMERA VERBS – Dolly, Pan, Tilt, Zoom
- Technical film terms used to describe camera movements.
- WORDS THAT PRECEDE “-SIZE” TO MEAN SMALL – Bite, Fun, Pocket, Travel
- These are all used as prefixes to create words like bite-size or pocket-size.
Completing this puzzle successfully requires keen observation and thematic understanding.
How to Play NYT Connections Effectively
Even with experience, some puzzles can feel misleading. Here are top strategies to consistently solve Connections:
- Start with the obvious group: Identify the easiest (Yellow) group first to build confidence.
- Use the Shuffle button: Rearranging the grid helps break your brain out of visual patterns.
- Avoid impulsive guessing: You get only four incorrect guesses, so test combinations mentally before clicking.
- Focus on word meanings and contexts: Sometimes, the shared connection is figurative, not literal.
These tips can turn frustrating puzzles into daily wins.
Can You Play Old NYT Connections Puzzles?
Yes, NYT Connections features a puzzle archive that lets players revisit older games.
- Simply visit the NYT Connections page and choose a specific date.
- It’s a great way to practice or relive particularly fun puzzles from the past.
Is NYT Connections Free to Play?
Absolutely. Connections is currently free to play on both desktop and mobile through the official New York Times Games site.
- No subscription is required to access the daily puzzle.
- Additional features like stats and archives are available with a NYT Games subscription.
Recap of April 30, 2025 Connections Puzzle
As a reference, yesterday’s puzzle categories were:
- Yellow – Parts of a Shoe
- Green – Accommodation
- Blue – Reputation
- Purple – Ending with synonyms for “YUCK”
If you’re trying to identify patterns or improve long-term, reviewing previous puzzles is a helpful strategy.
Would you like a printable cheat sheet for NYT Connections categories and word patterns?
