All year long, we've been posting daily hints and answers for the NYT Games' word puzzles, including Strands, Wordle and Connections. After all, there are times when a player feels stuck and simply needs a little assistance to solve one of the word games that day—especially when the Connections board has "fake categories" to throw users off.
When we publish our Connections hints, we show that day's specific board, and give a simple clue for each of the four groupings. That way, players are able to see if they're on the right track, or if they've been fooled by one of the fake categories created by the NYT Games puzzle editor.
Some days, it's obvious when there's a harder Connections puzzle to solve because the page views for this particular type of story skyrocket—a visual indication that NYT Games fans are feeling stumped. Looking back on the past year, it's fun to see which days had the most Parade readers flocking to our Connections hints, hoping that one of the clues would help them solve that specific puzzle.
So, enjoy reading through the following nine hardest Connections games from 2025, based on Parade readers. We're showing the exact puzzle boards, and then revealing the answers as well. (While scrolling, you might remember struggling with finding these answers yourself!)
Related: NYT Games Editor Reveals a ‘Connections’ Category That Got Cut (Exclusive)
9 Hardest Connections Games from 2025, Based on Parade Readers
These were the most viewed "Connections hints and answers" from our site this year.
9. Monday, June 30, 2025
The New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. DENTAL ADDITIONS: BRIDGE, CROWN, FILLING, VENEER2. METAPHORS FOR A DRAMATIC AND CHAOTIC EVENT: CIRCUS, ROLLER COASTER, SOAP OPERA, WHIRLWIND3. SECOND WORDS IN DAVID LYNCH TITLES: DRIVE, HIGHWAY, PEAKS, VELVET4. WHAT “JET” MIGHT REFER TO: AIRPLANE, BLACK, HOT TUB NOZZLE, NFL PLAYER
8. Friday, July 11, 2025
The New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. COMPANIES THAT HAVE BECOME VERBS: GOOGLE, PHOTOSHOP, UBER, ZOOM2. SILLY PERSON: DODO, GOOF, GOOSE, YAHOO3. KINDS OF SONGS: FOLK, LOVE, SIREN, SWAN4. HOMOPHONES OF SYNONYMS FOR “DESPICABLE”: FOWL, MIEN, OFFAL, VIAL
7. Tuesday, January 28, 2025
The New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. FUNNY PERSON: CARD, CHARACTER, JOKER, LAUGH2. RESISTANCE TRAINING EQUIPMENT: BAND, BENCH, DUMBBELL, MAT3. CANDY BARS MINUS “S”: AIRHEAD, MAR, MOUND, SNICKER4. SPEED _____: BUMP, CHESS, DEMON, DIAL
6. Monday, January 6, 2025
The New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. BREATHE HARD: GASP, HEAVE, PANT, PUFF2. CATCHALL: BLANKET, BROAD, GENERAL, UMBRELLA3. METAPHORS FOR EASY THINGS:ABC, BREEZE, PICNIC, PIE4. SYNONYMS FOR REAR MINUS LAST LETTER: ARS, BOOT, BUT, RUM
5. Thursday, May 1, 2025
New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. WINNINGS: POT, PRIZE, PURSE, REWARD2. STOP, AS A HABIT: BREAK, DROP, KICK, SHAKE3. MOVIE CAMERA VERBS: DOLLY, PAN, TILT, ZOOM4. WORDS THAT PRECEDE “-SIZE” TO MEAN SMALL: BITE, FUN, POCKET, TRAVEL
Related: How To Play ‘Pips’: Puzzle Editor Reveals 3 Tips for the New Daily NYT Game
4. Tuesday, April 1, 2025
The New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. CURRENCY SYMBOLS:$, £, ¥, €2. AND/TOGETHER WITH: &, +, N, X3. EMOTICON MOUTHS: ( , ), O, P4. “RIGHT”: R, →, ⊾, ✓
3. Tuesday, March 4, 2025
The New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. ADJECTIVES FOR NICE SKIN: DEWY, FRESH, GLOWING, SMOOTH2. MESS OF HAIR: MAT, MOP, TANGLE, THATCH3. DICKENS CHARACTERS: BUCKET, PIP, SCROOGE, TWIST4. _____ CHAIN: DAISY, FOOD, MOUNTAIN, SUPPLY
Related: 15 Fun Games Like Connections to Play Every Day
2. Tuesday, January 7, 2025
The New York Times
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. VOCAL MUSIC: A CAPELLA, BARBERSHOP, DOO-WOP, MADRIGAL2. A HANDFUL OF: A FEW, CERTAIN, SOME, VARIOUS3. BOOK SUBTITLES: A LIFE, A NOVEL, ESSAYS, PART ONE4. _____ IS _____ (IS _____): A DEAL, A ROSE, ENOUGH, LOVE
Related: The 26 Funniest NYT Connections Game Memes You'll Appreciate if You Do This Daily Word Puzzle
1. Tuesday, February 11, 2025
The New York Times
This one seems to have stumped the most players!
Spoiler alert—here are the answers:
1. WREST: JERK, TUG, WRENCH, YANK2. BUSTER: BUB, BUD, JACK, MAN3. YOGA ACCESSORIES: BLOCK, BOLSTER, MAT, STRAP4. _____ CAP: HUB, KNEE, MAD, NIGHT
Up Next:
Related: The New York Times Is Releasing New Game 'Crossplay'—Here's How To Get It in 2026
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