Need a nudge for NYT Connections game #656? Start with the progressive hints below, then scroll past the spoiler warning for the categories and full solution. This puzzle was for Friday, March 28, 2025.
Progressive hints for Connections #656
These clues move from broad to more revealing. Stop before the next section if you want to solve the grid yourself.
- Yellow: Fling something.
- Green: Left and right.
- Blue: Do a good turn daily.
- Purple: Add a roomy word that rhymes with “wall.”
TechRadar’s guide describes Connections as a game about grouping items that share something in common. It says this puzzle was playable for free on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile; access details can change.
Spoilers: category labels and answers
Stop here if you do not want the solutions revealed. The categories and all 16 words follow.
#1 Best Overall
Yellow — HURL
CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, SLING.
Green — BE ON BOTH SIDES OF
BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK, SURROUND.
Blue — PARTS OF A CLASSIC GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM
BADGE, BERET, SASH, SKIRT.
Purple — __HALL
BINGO, CITY, MONTY, STUDY.
Why the grid can mislead
TechRadar writer Johnny Dee said he initially mixed the throwing words with the positional words, imagining a medieval-battle connection, before identifying the throwing verbs. Dee rated the puzzle “Moderate” and reported a personal score of two mistakes; that is his experience, not a measure of how players generally performed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Full board
CHUCK, MONTY, BRACKET, CITY, SKIRT, PITCH, FLANK, BADGE, STUDY, SASH, SLING, BOOKEND, SURROUND, BINGO, BERET, PELT.
Rank #2
Source: TechRadar’s guide to NYT Connections game #656, published March 27, 2025.
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