Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Here are the hints and complete answers for Monday, February 17, 2025’s New York Times Connections puzzle, game #617. Try the graduated clues first, then open the answer key if you are stuck.
Connections #617 hints
Connections has 16 words that must be sorted into four groups of four. You can make up to four mistakes before the puzzle ends. The hints below run from the easiest category to the hardest.
- Yellow: Think about taking a holiday or getting time away from work.
- Green: Look for words describing a twisty, winding route or motion.
- Blue: Consider ten-pin scoring outcomes.
- Purple: Add the same word related to an animal with scales and fins after each tile.
Answers for NYT Connections #617
Spoiler warning: The complete grouping and explanations follow.
| Color | Category | Tiles | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | TIME OFF | BREAK, LEAVE, REST, VACATION | Each word describes time away, a pause, or an absence from normal duties. |
| Green | FOLLOW A MEANDERING COURSE | CURVE, SNAKE, WEAVE, WIND | Each can describe movement along a winding or indirect path. |
| Blue | BOWLING RESULTS | DOUBLE, SPARE, STRIKE, TURKEY | These are terms used for bowling scores or outcomes. A turkey is three consecutive strikes. |
| Purple | ___FISH | BLOW, CAT, GOLD, SWORD | Adding “fish” creates blowfish, catfish, goldfish, and swordfish. |
The puzzle’s trickiest traps
Why “turkey” belongs with bowling
“Turkey” can look unrelated to the other tiles until you recognize bowling terminology. In ten-pin bowling, three strikes in a row are called a turkey, while a double is two consecutive strikes and a spare is completed by clearing the remaining pins with the second ball.
Why the purple group is a word-completion category
The purple set does not share a standalone definition. Instead, every tile becomes a fish name when followed by fish. This type of prefix or suffix construction is a common source of misleading near-matches in the hardest group.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A reliable way to solve this board
- Start with the clearest everyday grouping: BREAK, LEAVE, REST, and VACATION all point to time off.
- With those removed, test CURVE, SNAKE, WEAVE, and WIND as descriptions of a meandering course.
- Recognize DOUBLE, SPARE, STRIKE, and TURKEY as bowling language rather than general actions or quantities.
- Before submitting the final four, check whether each tile forms a familiar compound with the same added word. That confirms the ___FISH category.
When a word appears to fit two groups, delay submission and look for the category that gives all four remaining tiles one precise explanation. Connections is designed to use double meanings and trap words, so a plausible pair is not enough; the complete set must work.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
