NYT Crossword Clues and Solutions for Saturday, May 10, 2025: Deciphered Puzzle Vexings
Head's up, puzzle enthusiasts! This guide is a lowdown on the Connections answer for Saturday, May 10, 2025. We'll be dropping hints, insights, and, of course, the solutions for all four categories. Buckle up, and let's dive right in!
If you're in need of an easy way to revisit our Connections hints every day, save this page. You can also browse through our past hints here as well, in case you missed a previous puzzle.
Here are some spoiler-free hints for the categories in today's Connections:
- Yellow category - Sign-offs at the end of a letter
- Green category - Words that suggest a lack or absence
- Blue category - Synonyms for pumped up or lively
- Purple category - Some kind of strip (hint: could be food, media, or… a runway?)
SPOILER ALERT: If you don't want any solutions spoiled, scroll slowly!
Beware: Spoilers ahead for today's Connections puzzle!
We're about to spill the beans (or perhaps something else) on the answers. Scroll cautiously if you prefer to discover the answers on your own. (The full solution is a bit further down.)
Let's talk about the tricky parts
- The word SANS means "without," as in "SANS serif," which refers to fonts that don't have serifs.
- The word LOVE is something you might put at the end of a heartfelt letter to your sweetheart.
- COMIC goes with another word to describe short stories that appear in a newspaper.
What are today's categories in Connections?
- Yellow: LETTER SIGN-OFFS
- Green: WITHOUT
- Blue: VIGOR
- Purple: ____ STRIP
Double Spoiler Alert: The answer is below!
Got your puzzle-solving cap on? Here are the answers to today's Connections puzzle:
What are the yellow words in today's Connections?
The yellow grouping is the easiest. Today's theme for the yellow category is LETTER SIGN-OFFS, and the words are: BEST, CHEERS, LOVE, SINCERELY.
What are the green words in today's Connections?
The green grouping is considered the second-easiest. The theme for today's green category is WITHOUT and the words are: ABSENT, MINUS, SANS, WANTING.
What are the blue words in today's Connections?
The blue grouping is the second-hardest. The theme for today's blue category is VIGOR, and the words are: BEANS, ENERGY, PEP, ZIP.
What are the purple words in today's Connections?
The purple grouping is the most challenging. The theme for today's purple category is ____ STRIP, and the words are: BACON, COMIC, LANDING, SUNSET.
So, how did I solve today's Connections?
Although I was tempted to pair COMIC and SANS, I think SANS is actually just the word for "without," which fits with ABSENT, MINUS, and WANTING.
CHEERS can refer to various situations like clinking glasses together at a party or cheering on a sports team. It could also function as a sign-off, like BEST, LOVE, and SINCERELY.
BEANS, ENERGY, ZIP, and PEP are all words associated with energy or being lively.
That leaves COMIC, LANDING, BACON, and SUNSET. Ah, those all go with "strip." COMIC strip, LANDING strip, BACON strip, and SUNSET strip. Easy peasy!
How to play Connections
You can find the New York Times Connections game on their website or in their Games app. The game features a grid with 16 tiles, each containing one word or phrase. Your objective is to find a group of four tiles that all have something in common. You can then submit your answer, and the category and color will be revealed if you guessed correctly. Keep guessing if your answer was incorrect.
You win the game when you've correctly identified all four groups. However, if you make four mistakes before finishing, the game ends, and the answers are revealed.
How to win Connections
Remember that the groupings are designed to be tricky. Overlapping categories are common, so don't hit "submit" until you're sure your group of four contains only those four items.
If you're stuck, look at the words that seem to have no connection with the others. For example, if WHISTLER is all you can think of when you see it, you might be on the right track. When I solved that one, I ended up researching whether there was a painter named Close, as Close didn't seem to fit into any of the obvious categories.
If you're really stumped, reading some helpful hints (like this one!) can help you along the way. Check back tomorrow for the next puzzle!
- If you want to bookmark the page with the Connections answers for today, do so now as it will be a useful resource for future puzzles.
- The entertainment category in today's Connections involves comic strips, hinting at comic books or cartoons.
- The challenging Purple category of Connections involves definitions of 'strip' like 'Comic strip', 'Landing strip', 'Bacon strip', and 'Sunset strip'.
- The New York Times Games app and website offer the Connections game, providing puzzles with five categories and 16 tiles, each containing one word or phrase, to be solved based on connections.
- To win the Connections game, you must identify all four groups with no overlapping categories, where the connection between the words in a group is often unconventional.
