NYT Connections puzzle #657, published Saturday, March 29, 2025, groups its 16 words into materials associated with fancy dining, kinds of shorts, nouns from a famous palindrome, and movies from 1985. Spoiler-safe hints come first; expand the answer section only when you’re ready to see the solutions.
Hints for Connections #657
- Yellow: Think of fine tableware and drinkware.
- Green: These are different styles of a familiar garment.
- Blue: Each word is a noun in a well-known palindrome.
- Purple: These films share a release year with The Goonies and Cocoon.
Answers for March 29, 2025
Spoilers below. The category names and complete word groups reveal the solution.
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| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Materials associated with fancy dining | CHINA, CRYSTAL, LINEN, SILVER |
| Kinds of shorts | BERMUDA, BIKE, BOXER, CARGO |
| Nouns in “A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.” | CANAL, MAN, PANAMA, PLAN |
| Movies from 1985 | BRAZIL, CLUE, COMMANDO, WITNESS |
Why the words fit
Materials associated with fancy dining
CHINA, CRYSTAL, LINEN, and SILVER are associated with fine dining settings: china dishes, crystal drinkware, linen tablecloths, and silver tableware.
Kinds of shorts
BERMUDA, BIKE, BOXER, and CARGO each describe a style of shorts.
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Nouns in the palindrome
CANAL, MAN, PANAMA, and PLAN appear as nouns in the phrase “A man, a plan, a canal: Panama.”
Movies from 1985
BRAZIL, CLUE, COMMANDO, and WITNESS are the film titles in the group. The category is movies from 1985; The Goonies and Cocoon serve as clue examples, not answers.
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The dated puzzle number, hints, category names, and answer groups are corroborated by Parade, WordHint, and Try Hard Guides.
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