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Here are spoiler-safe hints for NYT Connections puzzle #704, followed by the complete answers for Thursday, May 15, 2025. Stop after the hint section if you still want to solve the grid yourself.
Spoiler-free hints for Connections #704
The puzzle gives you four groups of four words. You have up to four incorrect guesses, and the groups run from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest).
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- Yellow: Trust the process.
- Green: It covers mountains.
- Blue: Partial names of famous scores.
- Purple: Precede with a word that rhymes with “meal.”
When you are ready to see the solution, continue below.
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NYT Connections #704 answers
Yellow: RATIONALE
BASIS, FOUNDATION, GROUNDS, REASON all describe the underlying explanation or justification for an idea, decision or argument.
#1 Best Overall
Green: TYPES OF SNOW
CRUST, ICE, POWDER, SLUSH are all snow-condition descriptors used to identify different surfaces or consistencies on the mountain.
Blue: Last words of famous opera titles
BESS, BUTTERFLY, FLUTE and SEVILLE complete Porgy and Bess, Madame Butterfly, The Magic Flute and The Barber of Seville.
Rank #2
Purple: REAL ___
DEAL, ESTATE, MADRID and WORLD follow “Real” to make familiar phrases or names: real deal, real estate, Real Madrid and the Real World.
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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 problemsWhy this grid is tricky
MADRID and SEVILLE look like a natural pair because both are Spanish cities, but they belong to different categories. Madrid is part of the purple “Real ___” group, while Seville finishes an opera title in the blue group. The opera category also uses only the final words of titles, not complete names.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
How to play the puzzle
- Open NYT Games and choose Connections.
- Select four words that share one connection, then submit your group.
- Use the remaining words to identify the other three categories, remembering that four mistakes end the game.
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