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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsHere are spoiler-light hints and the full solution for NYT Connections puzzle #629, released Saturday, March 1, 2025. Start with the color clues and stop before the answer grid if you want to solve it yourself.
Hints for Connections #629
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. The clues below reveal a little more with each color.
- Yellow: Think of symbols associated with luck.
- Green: Look for compound words containing the sequence “TO-BO-”.
- Blue: These are Broadway musicals, using familiar shortened titles.
- Purple: Each word comes before “cowboy” in a film or music title.
Full answer grid
Spoilers below: The categories and words for puzzle #629 are listed here.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Associated with good luck | HORSESHOE, LADYBUG, PENNY, SHAMROCK |
| Green | TO-BO- compound words | TOLLBOOTH, TOMBOY, TOOLBOX, TOWBOAT |
| Blue | Broadway musicals, familiarly | FIDDLER, MERRILY, PHANTOM, SUNSET |
| Purple | Words before “cowboy” in film and music | DRUGSTORE, MIDNIGHT, RHINESTONE, SPACE |
Why the words fit
Yellow: good-luck symbols
A horseshoe, ladybug, penny, and shamrock are all commonly associated with good luck.
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- The game where _______ minds think alike!
- Prepare yourself for Blank Slate, a game of addicting predictions! How well can you put your finger on what everyone's thinking?
- Pick a Word Cue card, write the word you think best completes the phrase, and try to match it to anther player's word without giving a single hint
- Easy to learn, quick to play, and fun for the whole family; just grab a slate, write a word, and get ready to make a match. Great for large groups or small gatherings!
- Includes: Scoreboard, 8 dry-erase slates, 250 doubled-sided word cue cards, rules
Green: the TO-BO- sequence
TOLLBOOTH, TOMBOY, TOOLBOX, and TOWBOAT each contain “TO” followed later by “BO.” The connection is a spelling pattern, not a shared meaning.
Blue: familiar musical titles
The shortened entries point to Fiddler on the Roof, Merrily We Roll Along, The Phantom of the Opera, and Sunset Boulevard.
Rank #2
- STRATEGIC THINKING: Elevate the fun with this game, where players strategically choose word combinations, making it perfect for party games for adults and family, enhancing both depth and complexity.
- MULTIPLAYER FUN: Engage in multiplayer entertainment with Subtext Showdown, perfect for game nights with 3 to 6 participants, promoting communication and creative thinking in the realm of adult games for game night.
- POINTS OF PRECISION: Accumulate points by adeptly deducing associations or demonstrating telepathic synchronicity, ensuring a gratifying experience for effective communication and intuitive connections in adult board games.
- RACE AGAINST TIME: With a ticking clock, players must think quickly and make their associations before time runs out, adding an exciting element of urgency to the game.
- EXCITING PERFECT GIFT: Combine phrases from the 16 cards to form associations that friends can decode, providing an exhilarating challenge in teen-friendly card games, perfect gift for any occasion.
Purple: titles completed by “cowboy”
Add “cowboy” after each word to make Drugstore Cowboy, Midnight Cowboy, “Rhinestone Cowboy,” and Space Cowboy.
How Connections handles overlapping clues
Several words can appear to fit more than one category, so consider the complete set of 16 before submitting a group. The New York Times Help Center says each puzzle has exactly one solution and is designed to be tricky because words may fit multiple categories. It also says editors curate words and categories using the Oxford Dictionary. New York Times Help Center: Connections.
Rank #3
- Two teams race to identify their agents from a 5×5 grid, guided by a spymaster who knows each card’s identity
- Spymasters give one-word clues and a number to link multiple cards, encouraging creative thinking
- Teammates guess words matching the clue while avoiding the other team’s agents, bystanders, and the assassin
- Revealing the assassin ends the game instantly, adding high-stakes tension
- Teams may guess up to the clue number plus one, allowing strategic risks or revisiting old clues
Playing or replaying the puzzle
Connections releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. The game is available through the NYT Games app, the NYT Connections page, nytimes.com/theathletic, and the News app, according to the New York Times Help Center.
The NYT Connections archive covers puzzles from June 12, 2023 onward and is available to All Access and Games subscribers. Archive play affects some statistics but not streaks, and a completed archive puzzle cannot be replayed. Access terms can change; check the Help Center for current details.
Quick Recap
Rank #4
- UNIQUE COOPERATIVE WORD GAME: Write one clue connecting two keywords on each clover leaf. Teammates guess which keyword pair each clue links in this inventive, laugh-out-loud word association game
- CREATIVE PARTY GAME FOR ADULTS: So Clover! challenges players to make unexpected word connections. The more creative your clues, the higher your team scores in this hilarious adult party game
- GREAT FOR WORD GAME FANS: So Clover! takes cooperative word games to the next level with a unique multi-clue clover structure that delivers fresh, surprising, and satisfying creative connections
- FAST, FUN & SOCIAL: Plays in under 30 minutes with 3-6 players ages 10 and up. So Clover! is quick to setup, with no filler, just pure creative energy and highly collaborative family fun from the very first round
- IDEAL GIFT FOR ADULTS & FAMILIES: So Clover! is the party game gift for anyone who loves wordplay and creative thinking. Easy to teach in minutes, endlessly engaging at any family game night
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