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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →First, a date correction: contemporary answer guides identify Wednesday, May 28, 2025, as NYT Connections game #717. Game #715 was published Monday, May 26. The clues and answers below are for the May 28 puzzle (#717), which matches the date in the requested headline.
Connections asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. If you are solving the May 28 game, use the hints in order and stop before the answer section if you want to preserve the challenge.
Hints for Wednesday, May 28
Light hint
- One group contains words meaning to bring things together.
- One group consists of components found on a bicycle.
- One group contains films that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in or after 2000.
- The hardest group becomes music-related when each word is read as a genre with one extra letter.
Category reveals
- Connect: Four verbs for joining or linking things.
- Parts of a bike: Familiar bicycle components.
- Best Picture winners since 2000: Four winning films.
- Music genres plus a letter: Each entry can be interpreted as a genre after adding or accounting for an extra letter.
Answers for May 28, 2025 (game #717)
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | CONNECT | BRIDGE, JOIN, LINK, UNITE |
| Green | PARTS OF A BIKE | CHAIN, PEDAL, SADDLE, WHEEL |
| Blue | BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 2000 | CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, MOONLIGHT |
| Purple | MUSIC GENRES PLUS A LETTER | BLUEST, POPE, ROCKY, SKAT |
Why the purple group is difficult
The purple category relies on wordplay rather than a straightforward subject area. BLUEST, POPE, ROCKY and SKAT can be read as music-genre terms with an additional letter or altered spelling. That makes them tempting matches for other groups, so leave this set until the clearer categories have been removed.
Tips for solving Connections
Start with unmistakable groups
Look first for words that form a clean set with one obvious meaning. In this puzzle, the bike parts and connect verbs provide stronger anchors than the wordplay group.
#1 Best Overall
Check every candidate against all four words
A possible connection is not enough: each category must contain exactly four entries, and every remaining word must still fit somewhere. If a word has two plausible meanings, delay committing until the whole board supports one arrangement.
Watch for proper names and titles
Film titles can sit beside ordinary nouns and verbs. Once you spot CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR and MOONLIGHT as a group of Best Picture winners, the remaining entries become easier to assess.
Use the puzzle’s release time correctly
Connections releases at midnight local time, so “today’s” puzzle can differ by time zone. Check the date shown in your own game before comparing an answer with a guide.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Quick answer check
- Connect: BRIDGE, JOIN, LINK, UNITE
- Bike parts: CHAIN, PEDAL, SADDLE, WHEEL
- Best Picture winners: CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, MOONLIGHT
- Music genres plus a letter: BLUEST, POPE, ROCKY, SKAT
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