NYT Puzzle Solutions for Thursday, 8th May 2025: Crosswords Clues and Responses Revealed
Alright, it's time to decipher the Connections puzzle for Thursday, May 8, 2025! I'll share some insightful clues, strategies, and solutions to all four categories, explaining tricky words, and revealing how everything ties together. Remember, there are spoilers below for May 8, NYT Connections #697, so proceed with caution!
If you'd like an easy way to return to our Connections hints every day, feel free to bookmark this page. You can also find previous hints on this page.
Here's a sneak peek at some cryptic hints for today's Connections:
- Yellow category - Verbs for expressing thoughts and emotions.
- Green category - Essential tools for creating chaos on the table during a classic battle game.
- Blue category - Tough guys with last names famous for causing mayhem on the big screen.
- Purple category - Words for various objects that combine with "stick."
Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Today's Connections Puzzle!
We're about to unveil some of the answers. If you'd rather not know the entire solution immediately, scroll slowly!
Alert: There Are Tricky Parts Ahead
- PEN and PENCIL aren't a good match. PEN is a noun.
- WICK and CANDLE also don't play well together. WICK is a name played by Keanu Reeves' character in a movie.
- DICE and CHOP aren't a great combination. DICE refers to the items you roll during a board game.
What are the categories in today's Connections?
- Yellow: EXPRESSES FEELINGS
- Green: NECESSITIES FOR A CHAOTIC BATTLE
- Blue: HARSH & BRUTAL MOVIE HEROES
- Purple: ___ STICK
Caution: Solutions Below
Ready to crack the code for today's Connections puzzle? I'll reveal all the answers below.
Revealing the yellow words in today's Connections:
The yellow group is typically the most accessible. The theme for today's yellow category is EXPRESSES FEELINGS, and the words are: ENCOURAGE, SCREAM, SPEAK, WRITE.
Exposing the green words in today's Connections:
The green group is intended to be the second-easiest. The theme for today's green category is NECESSITIES FOR A CHAOTIC BATTLE, and the words are: BOOZE, CHAIR, DICE, NOISEMAKER.
Unveiling the blue words in today's Connections:
The blue group is supposed to be the second-hardest. The theme for today's blue category is HARSH & BRUTAL MOVIE HEROES, and the words are: BRUCE, HANNIBAL, JOHN, WICK (Bruce Willis, Hannibal Lecter, John McClane, John Wick).
Disclosing the purple words in today's Connections:
The purple grouping is considered to be the hardest. The theme for today's purple category is ___ STICK, and the words are: BATHROOM, BROOM, CLAW, NIGHTSTICK.
Cleverness Alert: I Solved Today's Connections
It appears that ENCOURAGE, SCREAM, SPEAK, and WRITE could all be part of a group pertaining to expressing emotions. If I had to delete one, it would probably be ENCOURAGE, but I'll hold off for now.
BRUCE, HANNIBAL, and JOHN could be the last names of tough guys from movies or TV shows. WICK is the surname of the action-packed protagonist from the John Wick movies.
WICK and CANDLE seem like an obvious pairing, but I'm unsure what would join them.
CHAIR, BOOZE, DICE, and NOISEMAKER could also go together as items associated with creating chaos during wild parties. BATHROOM may seem out-of-place at first, but if you consider the connections between alcohol consumption, music, seating, and loud noises, it makes sense.
OK, that leaves BROOM, CLAW, NIGHTSTICK, and NIGHT. This feels like a fill-in-the-blank. Ah, they all go with "handle" or "implement." BATHROOM BRUSH, BROOM, CLAW HAMMER, NIGHTSTICK, and NIGHTSHADOW.
How to Play Connections
I have a complete guide to playing Connections, but here's a quick overview of the rules:
- 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 mission is to pick a group of four tiles that share something in common. Often, they are all the same type of thing, but sometimes there's wordplay involved.
- Select your chosen group and hit the Submit button. If your guess is correct, the category and color will be revealed.
- If your guess is incorrect, you'll have a chance to try again.
- You win the game when you've successfully identified all four groups, but if you make four errors before finishing, the game ends and the answers are revealed.
Tips for Winning Connections
- The groupings are designed to be tricky. Expect overlapping groups.
- If you're stuck, focus on the words that don't seem to connect with the others.
- Don't hit "submit" until you're confident that your group of four contains only those four items.
- If you need extra help, come back tomorrow for more hints and insights!
- The NYT Connections answer for today involves entertainment, as one category includes harsh and brutal movie heroes.
- Lifestyle and education are intertwined in the Connections puzzle, with the yellow category requiring words that express feelings.
- The green category of Connections hints at entertainment and chaos, with words for necessities during a chaotic battle.
- The purple category of Connections requires words that combine with "stick," a hint that points towards education-and-self-development.
- To solve today's Connections puzzle, it's essential to understand the connections between each word, and bookmarking the page for future reference may be helpful.
