NYT Connections puzzle #685 was published for Saturday, April 26, 2025. Below are graduated hints for its four groups, followed by the complete answer key. Spoilers begin after the answer reveal heading.
The April 26, 2025 Connections grid
The 16 words in puzzle #685 were: GLEN, GARY, ROSS, COLOR, HOPE, HOLLOW, SHADE, LUBE, DELL, DOLE, GENRE, TONE, HUE, DRE, DALE, and MARLEY. Forbes’ dated guide identifies the puzzle and reproduces the grid.
Progressive hints
Start with the broad nudge, then move through the color-coded clues only as needed.
- Broad nudge: Think of a tint, a valley, people named Bob, and colors rearranged.
- Yellow: Terms related to a tint or color nuance.
- Green: Words meaning a valley.
- Blue: People whose first name is Bob.
- Purple: Rearrange each word to spell a color.
Spoilers: the four answers
The dated Forbes guide and Connections Hint’s puzzle #685 guide agree on all four groups.
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| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | TINT | COLOR, HUE, SHADE, TONE |
| Green | VALLEY | DALE, DELL, GLEN, HOLLOW |
| Blue | BOBS | DOLE, HOPE, MARLEY, ROSS |
| Purple | COLOR ANAGRAMS | DRE, GARY, GENRE, LUBE |
Why the purple group works
The purple words become color names when their letters are rearranged: DRE becomes RED, GARY becomes GRAY, GENRE becomes GREEN, and LUBE becomes BLUE. They are not color synonyms as written; the connection is the anagram. That wordplay also gives the puzzle a playful echo of the yellow group, which contains tint-related terms.
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