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These are the hints and answers for the New York Times Connections puzzle for Monday, June 16, 2025, game #736. Read the four spoiler-light clues first; the full groups and explanations appear below the clearly marked reveal.
Hints for Connections #736
Try these clues before scrolling to the solutions. They follow the puzzle’s four color groups, from yellow through purple.
- Yellow: No emotion.
- Green: Hang on.
- Blue: Bartender accoutrements.
- Purple: Needed to get from A to B.
Spoilers: the June 16 answers
The board’s 16 words were SHIPSHAPE, INANIMATE, CARBON, ROD, GLASS, WOODEN, BRACKET, GARNISH, BUSBOY, TRAINEE, FLAT, BLANK, HOOK, COASTER, and CURTAIN.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | EXPRESSIONLESS | BLANK, FLAT, INANIMATE, WOODEN |
| Green | DRAPERY HANGING ITEMS | BRACKET, CURTAIN, HOOK, ROD |
| Blue | WHAT A DRINK IS SERVED WITH | COASTER, GARNISH, GLASS, STRAW |
| Purple | STARTING WITH METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION | BUSBOY, CARBON, SHIPSHAPE, TRAINEE |
Why the purple group fits
The purple category relies on word beginnings rather than synonyms: BUSBOY starts with bus, CARBON with car, SHIPSHAPE with ship, and TRAINEE with train. Each beginning names a method of transportation.
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How Connections works
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared connection. Some groups depend on wordplay or misleading overlaps, so a clue may point to a pattern in a word rather than its full meaning. For this board, checking the first few letters helped uncover the purple set.
Sources: TechRadar’s June 16, 2025 guide and Try Hard Guides’ answer list. For a general overview of the game, see The New York Times Connections.
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