Here are the NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, February 16, 2025 (game #616). Start with the word bank, then choose how far you want to go: graduated clues, category names, or the full solution.
The 16 words in Connections #616
The board contains these 16 words, shown here without implying a particular order:
- PUNCH
- SUGGESTION
- TOUCH
- POINT
- MATCH
- BOX
- TRIUMPH
- SET
- HINT
- COMPLEMENT
- OSCAR
- SUIT
- LAMB CHOP
- TRACE
- FIT
- RETRIEVE
Hints, from subtle to more revealing
Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four. You can make up to four mistakes. If you want to preserve the puzzle, stop at the hint level that gives you enough to continue.
- Yellow: A slight or very small amount.
- Green: Things that pair or work well together.
- Blue: Think of familiar characters seen in puppet form.
- Purple: Each answer is a dog-breed name with its ending sound removed.
Category names
These reveal the four group themes without yet listing all the words in each group:
#1 Best Overall
- Yellow: GLIMMER
- Green: CORRESPOND WELL WITH
- Blue: FAMOUS PUPPETS
- Purple: DOG BREEDS MINUS “ER” SOUND
Spoilers: the full Connections #616 answers
Warning: the complete groupings are below.
Yellow — GLIMMER
HINT, SUGGESTION, TOUCH, TRACE
Green — CORRESPOND WELL WITH
COMPLEMENT, FIT, MATCH, SUIT
Blue — FAMOUS PUPPETS
LAMB CHOP, OSCAR, PUNCH, TRIUMPH
Purple — DOG BREEDS MINUS “ER” SOUND
BOX, POINT, RETRIEVE, SET
The purple entries point to BOXER, POINTER, RETRIEVER, and SETTER, with the “ER” sound removed from each breed name.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.About this puzzle
This archived puzzle is NYT Connections #616, published Sunday, February 16, 2025. Connections is available through the NYT Games site on desktop and mobile.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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