Daily NYT Linkups Clues (and Solution) for Friday, May 9, 2025
Let's Dive into Today's Connections Puzzle!
Looking for the lowdown on Connections for Friday, May 9, 2025? Look no further, I got your back! I'll lay out some clues, tips, and strategies, and eventually reveal the solutions to all four categories. I'll also explain the trickier words along the way, and help you understand how everything fits together. Warning, there are spoilers below for May 9, NYT Connections #698! Let's get started!
Want an easy way to revisit our Connections hints every day? Bookmark this page! You can also find our past hints there if you want to know what you missed in a previous puzzle.
Here are some hints for today's Connections themes without any spoilers:
- Yellow category - Please hook up your speakers first, then adjust these things for the best picture.
- Green category - There's been a considerable passage of time, so I don't remember all the details.
- Blue category - Equation letters.
- Purple category - They keep the sun out of your eyes.
BEWARE: Spoilers follow for today's Connections puzzle!
We're about to spill some beans about the answers. Scroll slowly if you don't want the whole thing spoiled. (The full solution is a bit further down.)
A Quick Warning About the Hard Parts
There's no pop culture or tricky spelling categories today.
PRODUCT refers to the result when you multiply two numbers together.
BLIND doesn't mean lacking sight. It's something you might hang on a window to keep the sun out.
REMOTE describes something far off and undetermined.
What are the categories in today's Connections?
- Yellow: TV ADJUSTMENTS
- Green: MISTY, LIKE A MEMORY
- Blue: MATH EQUATION REFERENCES
- Purple: WINDOW COVERINGS
DOUBLE BEWARE: THE SOLUTION IS BELOW
Ready to learn the answers to today's Connections puzzle? Here you go!
What are the yellow words in today's Connections?
The yellow grouping is considered to be the easiest. The theme for today's yellow group is TV ADJUSTMENTS and the words are: BRIGHTNESS, COLOR, CONTRAST, TINT.
What are the green words in today's Connections?
The green grouping is supposed to be the second-easiest. The theme for today's green category is MISTY, LIKE A MEMORY and the words are: DIM, FAINT, REMOTE, VAGUE.
What are the blue words in today's Connections?
The blue grouping is the second-hardest. The theme for today's blue category is MATH EQUATION REFERENCES and the words are: DIFFERENCE, PRODUCT, QUOTIENT, SUM.
What are the purple words in today's Connections?
The purple grouping is considered to be the hardest. The theme for today's purple category is WINDOW COVERINGS and the words are: BLIND, DRAPE, SHADE, SHUTTER.
How I Solved Today's Connections
I saw a few potential categories right away. One was a TV settings category, with CONTRAST and BRIGHTNESS. I didn't see others.
Another was a color category, with SHADE, COLOR, and TINT.
I also saw one with words that described things that are far off or undetermined: DIM, REMOTE, FAINT, VAGUE. Let's try that one first, since I actually have four that fit. 🟩
Oh, maybe SHADE actually goes with DRAPE, SHUTTER, and BLIND to describe window coverings. 🟪 That was purple? OK!
Now I see that CONTRAST, COLOR, BRIGHTNESS, and TINT all go together as words describing TV settings or maybe Photoshop editing tools. 🟨 It's the TV one, nice.
That leaves DIFFERENCE, SUM, PRODUCT, and QUOTIENT, which are all math equation words. 🟦
How to Play Connections
I've got a full guide to playing Connections, but here's a refresher on the rules:
First, find the Connections game either on the New York Times website or in their Games app (formerly the Crossword app). You'll see a game board with 16 tiles, each with one word or phrase. Your job is to select a group of four tiles that have something in common. Often they are all the same type of thing (for example: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all types of wet weather) but sometimes there is wordplay involved (for example, BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH are all types of lists: bucket list, guest list, and so on).
Select four items and hit the Submit button. If you guessed correctly, the category and color will be revealed. (Yellow is easiest, followed by green, then blue, then purple.) If your guess was incorrect, you'll get a chance to try again.
You win when you've correctly identified all four groups. But if you make four mistakes before you finish, the game ends and the answers are revealed.
How to Win Connections
The most important thing to know to win Connections is that the groupings are designed to be tricky. Expect to see overlapping groups. For example, one puzzle seemed to include six breakfast foods: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. But BACON turned out to be part of a group of painters along with CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, and EGG was in a group of things that come by the dozen (along with JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). So don't hit "submit" until you've confirmed that your group of four contains only those four things.
If you're stuck, another strategy is to look at the words that seem to have no connection to the others. If all that comes to mind when you see WHISTLER is the painting nicknamed "Whistler's Mother," you might be on to something. When I solved that one, I ended up googling whether there was a painter named Close, because Close didn't fit any of the obvious themes, either.
Another way to win when you're stuck is, obviously, to read a few helpful hints - which is why we share these pointers every day. Check back tomorrow for the next puzzle!
- Today's NYT Connections puzzle for May 9, 2025, in the Yellow category, requires adjusting TV settings, with the words BRIGHTNESS, COLOR, CONTRAST, and TINT.
- For the Green category in today's Connections, the theme is MISTY, LIKE A MEMORY, with the words DIM, FAINT, REMOTE, and VAGUE.
- In the Blue category, Math Equation References are the theme, with DIFFERENCE, PRODUCT, QUOTIENT, and SUM as the words.
- Additionally, the Purple category features Window Coverings, with BLIND, DRAPE, SHADE, and SHUTTER as the words to connect.
- If you need daily hints for the Connections puzzle, bookmark this page or visit our archives for past hints.
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