NYT Crossword Hints and Solution for May 9, 2025 (Friday Edition)
Dig into the Connections puzzle notion for Friday, May 9, 2025, and score some hints, tips, and strategies for decoding the answers. We'll explore tricky words, tie everything together, and, of course, deliver the solutions for all four categories. Spoiler alert: If you're a Connections newb, tread carefully - this write-up holds hints and solutions for May 9, NYT Connections #698!
For your daily Connections fix, bookmark this page or find our past tips in the archives. Now, let's kick off the hints for today's Connections:
The Lowdown on Today's Connections Themes
Here are some spoiler-free hints for the groups in today's Connections:
- Yellow category – Fine-tuning your television for optimum viewing.
- Green category – Distant, vague, elusive memories.
- Blue category – Math equations, numbers at work.
- Purple category – Window treatments, sunblockades.
A Fair Warning: Spoilers Ensuing
We're close to dishing out some answers; proceed cautiously if you don't want any secrets revealed. (The full answer comes up a tad bit further down.)
A Quick Primer on Tricky Parts
There are no pop culture or trickster spelling categories in today's Connections.
- PRODUCT refers to the result of multiplying two numbers.
- BLIND does not mean lacking sight. It's something you might put on a window to block out the sun.
- REMOTE describes something distant and imprecise.
The Categories in Today's Connections – Revealed
- Yellow: TV SETTING ADJUSTMENTS (Brightness, Color, Contrast, Tint)
- Green: MEMORY (Dim, Faint, Remote, Vague)
- Blue: MATH OPERATIONS (Difference, Product, Quotient, Sum)
- Purple: WINDOW TREATMENTS (Blind, Drape, Shade, Shutter)
Double Danger: The Solution Approaches
Are you ready to uncover the answers to today's Connections puzzle? Here we go:
What are the yellow words in today's Connections?
The yellow team is, fortunately, the most straightforward. The theme here is TV SETTING ADJUSTMENTS, and the words are:
- Brightness
- Color
- Contrast
- Tint
What are the green words in today's Connections?
The green team is considered the second-easiest. The theme for today's green category is MEMORY, and the words are:
- Dim
- Faint
- Remote
- Vague
What are the blue words in today's Connections?
The blue team is the second-hardest. The theme for today's blue category is MATH OPERATIONS, and the words are:
- Difference
- Product
- Quotient
- Sum
What are the purple words in today's Connections?
The purple team is considered the hardest. The theme for today's purple category is WINDOW TREATMENTS, and the words are:
- Blind
- Drape
- Shade
- Shutter
How I Solved Today's Connections
I spotted a few potential categories right away. One was a TV settings category, featuring CONTRAST and BRIGHTNESS. I couldn't see the others.
Another was a color category, with SHADE, COLOR, and TINT.
I also noticed one with words that described distant things: DIM, REMOTE, FAINT, VAGUE. Let's start with that one, since I had four words that match. 🟩
Hmm, perhaps SHADE could be paired with DRAPE, SHUTTER, and BLIND to describe window decor. 🟪 That was purple? Alrighty then!
Now, I see that CONTRAST, COLOR, BRIGHTNESS, and TINT all fit together as words describing TV settings. 🟨 It's the TV one, peachy!
That leaves Difference, Product, Quotient, and Sum, which are all math equation words. 🟦
How to Rock Connections
Got questions on playing Connections? I've got answers. Here's a brief guide:
- Find the Connections game 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.
- Pick a group of four tiles that have something in common.
- Hit the Submit button, and if you're correct, the category and color will be revealed.
- Keep guessing until you've correctly identified all four groups, or make four mistakes, and the game ends.
How to Crush Connections
Stuck on a hard puzzle? Here are some tips to help you win:
- The groupings are designed to be tricky. Overlapping groups are common.
- Look at the words that don't seem to fit in with the others.
- If you're clueless, start searching for words online or consult a trusty dictionary.
- Read hints like this one to help uncover elusive connections.
- Come back tomorrow for a new puzzle!
- Today's Connections answer for entertainment can be found in the solutions for the purple category, which is related to window treatments.
- For hints on Theme 1 (yellow), the group involves adjusting settings on a TV, specifically brightness, color, contrast, and tint.
- If you're dealing with Theme 3 (blue), the group falls under math operations with words like difference, product, quotient, and sum.
- Remoteness, dimness, faintness, and vagueness are connected in Theme 2 (green), which centers around distant, vague, elusive memories.
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