Issue #685 Sat 26 Apr
NYT Connections Hints & Answer — April 26, 2025
A steady day where the grid offers a few straightforward paths alongside some persistent, lingering traps. Focus on the wordplay to keep the board clear.
yellow group 7 hints
Yellow group hints
Paint swatches fanned out on a hardware store counter, each variation slightly off from the last.
Art and design terminology
Direct synonyms
Members are 3–5 letters; first letters C, H, S, T.
TINT
One is COLOR.
COLOR · HUE · SHADE · TONE
green group 7 hints
Green group hints
Walking down a low point between two hills where the signal drops and the trees thicken.
Geographic features
Direct synonyms
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters D, G, H.
VALLEY
One is DALE.
DALE · DELL · GLEN · HOLLOW
blue group 7 hints
Blue group hints
A list of names written on the back of an old envelope, waiting for a common prefix.
Famous people sharing a first name
Shared first name
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters D, H, M, R.
BOBS
One is DOLE.
DOLE · HOPE · MARLEY · ROSS
violet group 7 hints
Violet group hints
Scrambling the letters on a notepad until a familiar term finally clicks into place.
Wordplay group
Anagrams
Members are 3–5 letters; first letters D, G, L.
COLOR ANAGRAMS
One is DRE.
DRE · GARY · GENRE · LUBE
Spoiler zone
Complete Connections answer
Open only the solution you want to see. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.
-
Reveal the yellow group
TINTCOLOR · HUE · SHADE · TONE
-
Reveal the green group
VALLEYDALE · DELL · GLEN · HOLLOW
-
Reveal the blue group
BOBSDOLE · HOPE · MARLEY · ROSS
-
Reveal the violet group
COLOR ANAGRAMSDRE · GARY · GENRE · LUBE
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Connections on April 26, 2025. Every answer below helps you along without giving the game away — ready to see the full solution? See the complete Connections answer for April 26, 2025, or browse every Connections puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Connections on April 26, 2025?
NYT Connections on April 26, 2025 rates 3 out of 4 on our difficulty scale — a tougher-than-average puzzle. As always you sort sixteen words into four colour-coded groups, and our hints tease what links each group without ever naming the words.
What's a spoiler-free hint for NYT Connections on April 26, 2025?
The hint ladder above starts with a one-line vibe for each of the four groups, then adds the connecting idea, then the wording of each category. You climb only as far as you need, and no grouped words are shown until the final reveal.
How many groups are in NYT Connections #685?
Four groups of four, ordered from the gentlest to the trickiest. For the categories and the sixteen words themselves, open the answer section on this page — the hints here keep them hidden.
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words
Today on Cluestand
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words