Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsToday’s guide covers NYT Connections puzzle #696, released Wednesday, May 7, 2025. You’ll find the 16-word grid, one spoiler-light clue for each color, and the complete categories and answers farther down.
How Connections #696 works
Connections gives you 16 words to sort into four groups of four. Each correct group shares a hidden association. You have four incorrect-guess opportunities, and the category colors run from easiest to hardest: yellow, green, blue, then purple.
The 16 words in the May 7 grid
CHORAL, CUPS, KNIT, SAVE, RECOVER, PURL, BUT, QUARTS, SWORDS, BESIDES, MEND, PENTACLES, OPEL, HEAL, WANDS, EXCEPT.
Spoiler-controlled hints
Try these clues before checking the answers. Each points to one color without listing its four words.
#1 Best Overall
| Color | Hint |
|---|---|
| Yellow | “Time heals all wounds.” |
| Green | “Omit.” |
| Blue | “It’s in the cards.” |
| Purple | “Diamond’s close relative (once-removed).” |
Connections #696 answers
The complete solution, including every word placement, is below.
| Color | Category | Words | Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Get Better, as a Broken Bone | HEAL, KNIT, MEND, RECOVER | Verbs describing recovery or improvement. |
| Green | Not Including | BESIDES, BUT, EXCEPT, SAVE | Words that can mean excluding something. |
| Blue | Tarot Minor Arcana Suits | CUPS, PENTACLES, SWORDS, WANDS | The four suits in the Tarot minor arcana. |
| Purple | Homophones of Gemstones | CHORAL, OPEL, PURL, QUARTS | Near-homophones of coral, opal, pearl and quartz. |
Why the wordplay is tricky
Yellow recovery verbs
HEAL and MEND are straightforward repair terms, while KNIT can describe a broken bone joining back together. RECOVER completes the set with a broad verb for returning to health.
Green exclusion terms
BESIDES, BUT, EXCEPT and SAVE can all introduce an exception or indicate that something is left out. Their different grammatical uses make this group easy to overlook.
Blue Tarot suits
CUPS, PENTACLES, SWORDS and WANDS are not just ordinary nouns: together they name every suit of the minor arcana.
Purple sound-alike spellings
The final group depends on pronunciation rather than meaning. CHORAL sounds like coral, OPEL like opal, PURL like pearl and QUARTS like quartz.
A practical solving order for this puzzle
- Look for the clearest recovery cluster: HEAL, KNIT, MEND and RECOVER.
- After removing those, test the four exclusion words BESIDES, BUT, EXCEPT and SAVE.
- Recognize CUPS, PENTACLES, SWORDS and WANDS as a complete Tarot set.
- Use the remaining spellings to identify the gemstone homophones.
That progression follows the intended difficulty scale, from yellow’s most direct association to purple’s sound-based trick.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Source and puzzle date
This historical answer guide is for the New York Times Games edition published on May 7, 2025. ComicBook.com’s Michael Murphy described Connections as a game in which players sort 16 words into four secret categories, with four turns to find the solution.
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