This page covers the historical New York Times Connections puzzle from Monday, June 16, 2025, game #736—not the current daily puzzle. You’ll find graduated clues first, followed by the complete four-group answer key.
How Connections #736 works
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to divide them into four groups of four that share a connection. The New York Times uses colors to indicate difficulty: yellow is the easiest category and purple is the trickiest. The game is available free on the web and in supported New York Times apps, with a new puzzle released at midnight in each player’s timezone.
The Connections archive reaches back to June 12, 2023. Archive access is available to All Access and Games subscribers; subscription and platform terms may change, so check the current New York Times offering before relying on that access.
The 16 words in Monday, June 16’s puzzle
- SHIPSHAPE
- INANIMATE
- CARBON
- ROD
- GLASS
- WOODEN
- BRACKET
- GARNISH
- BUSBOY
- TRAINEE
- FLAT
- STRAW
- BLANK
- HOOK
- COASTER
- CURTAIN
Hints for Connections #736
Try these clues before looking at the answers. They progress from the broadest idea to the most specific:
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#1 Best Overall
- Lacking emotion.
- Essential items for curtains.
- Things associated with beverages.
- Different ways to get around; look closely at the first part of the words.
Spoiler warning: The complete categories and word groups appear below.
Answers for Monday, June 16, 2025
| Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|
| EXPRESSIONLESS | BLANK, FLAT, INANIMATE, WOODEN | Each can describe a person, face, voice or performance that shows little or no emotion. |
| DRAPERY HANGING ITEMS | BRACKET, CURTAIN, HOOK, ROD | These are components or hardware used to hang draperies. |
| WHAT A DRINK IS SERVED WITH | COASTER, GARNISH, GLASS, STRAW | Each is something commonly accompanying a beverage. |
| STARTING WITH METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION | BUSBOY, CARBON, SHIPSHAPE, TRAINEE | The beginnings form BUS, CAR, SHIP and TRAIN, all methods of transportation. |
What makes the final group tricky?
The transportation group depends on the first part of each word rather than the word’s full meaning. BUSboy, CARbon, SHIPshape and TRAINee hide the relevant transport terms at the start, making them easy to overlook while you sort by definitions.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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