NYT Connections puzzle #709 is the game released on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Below are the 16 words and graduated hints first; the full category answers follow a spoiler warning.
Connections #709 word bank
Try sorting these words before opening the hints:
- LEDGER
- DAY
- BROWN
- HORSE
- WATER
- HARDY
- LOG
- MURPHY
- BALE
- DREW
- CANOPY
- RECORD
- TROUGH
- REGISTER
- HOLMES
- PITCHFORK
Hints, from subtle to revealing
- Yellow: Written down.
- Green: Found in the same farm building.
- Blue: Family-friendly sleuths.
- Purple: Add a word you sleep on.
The hints and word bank are reported in TechRadar’s May 20 guide.
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Spoiler warning: Connections #709 answers
The solutions below reveal all four groups.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | ACCOUNT BOOK | LEDGER, LOG, RECORD, REGISTER |
| Green | SEEN IN A BARN | BALE, HORSE, PITCHFORK, TROUGH |
| Blue | DETECTIVES OF KID-LIT | BROWN, DREW, HARDY, HOLMES |
| Purple | WORDS BEFORE “BED” | CANOPY, DAY, MURPHY, WATER |
These groupings and labels are reported by TechRadar.
Why the groups fit—and what can mislead
Yellow: ACCOUNT BOOK
LEDGER, LOG, RECORD, and REGISTER can each refer to a book or system where transactions or other information are entered.
Green: SEEN IN A BARN
BALE, HORSE, PITCHFORK, and TROUGH are objects or animals associated with a barn. This concrete set can help orient a solve if the more abstract wordplay is distracting.
Blue: DETECTIVES OF KID-LIT
BROWN, DREW, HARDY, and HOLMES are surnames linked to children’s-literature detectives: Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and Sherlock Holmes. The surnames can suggest many other people or connections, but the intended link is the sleuths.
Rank #2
Purple: WORDS BEFORE “BED”
CANOPY, DAY, MURPHY, and WATER each form a familiar compound when followed by BED: canopy bed, daybed, Murphy bed, and waterbed.
TechRadar contributor Johnny Dee said a speculative actor-and-film connection distracted him before BALE, HORSE, and PITCHFORK helped him find a foothold; he reported making three mistakes. That is his account of this solve, not a guarantee that the same approach will work for every player.
How NYT Connections works
Connections presents 16 words for players to divide into four groups of four based on a shared theme. NYT describes the color order from easiest to trickiest as yellow, green, blue, and purple, and notes that words may appear to fit multiple categories, which is part of the puzzle’s challenge. The daily puzzle releases at midnight in the player’s timezone. NYT lists its Games website and apps as ways to play. See the NYT Help Center’s Connections guide for current rules and access information.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you replay puzzle #709?
The NYT Help Center says the Connections archive goes back to June 12, 2023, and is available to All Access and Games subscribers. Subscription and platform terms can change, so check the current details with NYT before relying on archive access.
Puzzle number and date are both useful identifiers: this answer guide is for #709 on May 20, 2025, not a puzzle dated May 20 in another year. TechRadar’s May 21 recap also lists these as the previous day’s answers.
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