Connections #717 is the Wednesday, May 28, 2025 puzzle. Start with the hints below if you want to solve it yourself; the answer key is marked as a spoiler farther down.
Hints for Connections #717
Parade’s May 28, 2025 answer guide gives these clues in category order:
- To bring together.
- These are parts of a popular object for active individuals.
- Think movies.
- Removing a letter makes the connection clearer.
For a gradual approach, try the direct synonym clue and the everyday-object clue first. The film clue can help separate the movie titles from a tempting decoy. Save the letter-removal pattern for last.
Connections answers for May 28, 2025
Spoilers below. The categories and four-tile groups are reported by Parade’s answer guide.
#1 Best Overall
| Category | Tiles |
|---|---|
| CONNECT | BRIDGE, JOIN, LINK, UNITE |
| PARTS OF A BIKE | CHAIN, PEDAL, SADDLE, WHEEL |
| BEST PICTURE WINNERS SINCE 2000 | CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, MOONLIGHT |
| MUSIC GENRES PLUS A LETTER | BLUEST, POPE, ROCKY, SKAT |
How the wordplay and decoy work
In the music category, remove the final letter from each tile: BLUEST becomes BLUES, POPE becomes POP, ROCKY becomes ROCK, and SKAT becomes SKA. Each resulting word is a music genre.
ROCKY can look like a film answer, but the category is specifically Best Picture winners since 2000. The answer guide groups CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, and MOONLIGHT in that category; ROCKY instead fits the letter-removal pattern.
Rank #2
Why solve in this order?
- CONNECT: BRIDGE, JOIN, LINK, and UNITE are direct synonyms, making this the most explicit relationship.
- Bike parts: CHAIN, PEDAL, SADDLE, and WHEEL share a concrete object category.
- Best Picture winners: CHICAGO, CRASH, GLADIATOR, and MOONLIGHT require identifying film titles that fit the stated time range.
- Music genres plus a letter: The last group requires changing each tile by removing its extra final letter.
This is a suggested solving route, not a reported official order.
Quick Recap
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