Need a nudge before seeing the solution? The May 1, 2025, NYT Connections grid groups its 16 words around winnings, quitting a habit, movie-camera verbs, and terms that pair with “-size” to mean small. Hints come first below; the complete groups are in the spoiler section.
Progressive hints for May 1
- A payout you might receive from a contest or competition.
- A phrase for quitting a habit.
- Verbs used when operating a movie camera.
- Words that combine with “-size” to mean small.
All 16 words in the grid
POCKET, SHAKE, PURSE, PAN, POT, DOLLY, FUN, PRIZE, TRAVEL, BREAK, BITE, KICK, ZOOM, DROP, REWARD, TILT.
Full answer: the four Connections groups
Spoiler warning: The exact categories and word groupings follow.
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Yellow — WINNINGS | POT, PRIZE, PURSE, REWARD |
| Green — STOP, AS A HABIT | BREAK, DROP, KICK, SHAKE |
| Blue — MOVIE CAMERA VERBS | DOLLY, PAN, TILT, ZOOM |
| Purple — WORDS THAT PRECEDE “-SIZE” TO MEAN SMALL | BITE, FUN, POCKET, TRAVEL |
Why the words can be tricky
Some terms can seem to fit more than one idea at first glance. Forbes’ dated guide notes that overlapping word meanings can complicate the puzzle, so use the final category meaning to place each word rather than relying on a loose association. The answer set above is corroborated by Parade’s May 1 guide and TechRadar’s dated guide.
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Which puzzle number is it?
The dated TechRadar and Parade guides identify May 1 as game #690, while Wordle.today’s maintained archive assigns #727 to that date despite matching the category themes. Because the numbering conflicts, the date and answer groups are the reliable way to identify this puzzle; the New York Times Games page was not accessible to the cited guides for direct verification.
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