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NYT Connections #638 was published on Monday, March 10, 2025. The answers include four cat breeds, famous smiles, attractions iconic for differing from their original forms, and references to The Big Lebowski. Hints appear first, followed by the complete solution.
Looking for the NYT Connections answers for Monday, March 10, 2025? Puzzle #638 brings together four cat breeds, famous smiles, attractions that are iconic partly because they differ from their original forms, and references to The Big Lebowski.
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Important date note: This is an archived answer guide for Connections #638, published on March 10, 2025. It is not the puzzle for March 10, 2026, which was #1003.
Hints for Connections #638
Here are the clues from easiest to hardest. Stop here if you want to keep solving without seeing the answers.
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- Yellow: These are recognized types of cats.
- Green: Think of famous grins, expressions, or smiling faces.
- Blue: These famous attractions are known today in forms that differ from their original designs, appearance, or condition.
- Purple: Think of objects, activities, clothing, and a drink associated with Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski.
The 16 words in Connections #638
Mona Lisa, Statue of Liberty, Bowling, Sphynx, Venus de Milo, Joker, Russian Blue, Rug, White Russian, Liberty Bell, Comedy Mask, Turkish Angora, Ragamuffin, Cheshire Cat, Bathrobe, Tower of Pisa
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Connections #638 answers
The four groups are:
- Yellow — CAT BREEDS: RAGAMUFFIN, RUSSIAN BLUE, SPHYNX, TURKISH ANGORA
- Green — FAMOUS SMILES: CHESHIRE CAT, COMEDY MASK, JOKER, MONA LISA
- Blue — ATTRACTIONS ICONICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL FORMS: LIBERTY BELL, STATUE OF LIBERTY, TOWER OF PISA, VENUS DE MILO
- Purple — ASSOCIATED WITH “THE DUDE” LEBOWSKI: BATHROBE, BOWLING, RUG, WHITE RUSSIAN
Yellow: CAT BREEDS
RAGAMUFFIN, RUSSIAN BLUE, SPHYNX, and TURKISH ANGORA are all established cat-breed names. The Sphynx is the most visually conspicuous entry because of its characteristic hairless-looking appearance. Turkish Angoras and RagaMuffins are recognized longhair breeds, while the Russian Blue is another established breed rather than simply a description of a cat’s color.
That makes words such as Cheshire Cat and Joker tempting decoys: both clearly suggest cats or faces, but neither belongs with the four breed names.
Green: FAMOUS SMILES
CHESHIRE CAT, COMEDY MASK, JOKER, and MONA LISA are connected by familiar smiling faces or grins. The Cheshire Cat is famous for its broad grin; the comedy mask represents a smiling theatrical expression; and the Joker is commonly shown with an exaggerated smile. The Mona Lisa completes the group because her enigmatic smile is one of the painting’s defining features.
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Blue: ATTRACTIONS ICONICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THEIR ORIGINAL FORMS
This is the most allusive group in the puzzle. These are not merely famous landmarks. Each is widely recognized today in a form or condition that differs from its original design, appearance, or intended state.
- LIBERTY BELL: Its prominent crack is part of its identity.
- STATUE OF LIBERTY: The statue now has a replacement torch. The original torch was removed during the 1980s restoration and is displayed in the Statue of Liberty Museum.
- TOWER OF PISA: Its enduring lean, caused by unstable ground and foundation conditions, became its defining visual feature.
- VENUS DE MILO: The ancient sculpture is famous in its incomplete, armless state.
The Statue of Liberty entry is especially useful for understanding the category: visitors see a replica torch today, while the original is preserved separately. The point is not that each attraction was intentionally designed to look exactly as it does now, but that its current iconic identity is inseparable from a later alteration, damage, incompleteness, or condition.
Purple: ASSOCIATED WITH “THE DUDE” LEBOWSKI
BATHROBE, BOWLING, RUG, and WHITE RUSSIAN point to Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski, the central character in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski.
- Bathrobe: It is strongly associated with the Dude’s relaxed, unconventional screen persona.
- Bowling: The Dude spends much of the film bowling with his friends.
- Rug: A destroyed rug sets the film’s central quest for restitution in motion.
- White Russian: The cocktail is the Dude’s signature drink.
The purple category is therefore about a specific film reference, not about ordinary household items, a generic bowling theme, or cocktails in general. If you want to revisit the source of the reference, The Big Lebowski DVD is one of the physical editions associated with the film; Blu-ray and 4K editions are also available in the home-entertainment range, subject to current regional availability.
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How the decoys work in this puzzle
Connections #638 uses several overlapping associations. Sphynx and Cheshire Cat both look like possible cat-related answers, but only the former is a breed name. Mona Lisa and Joker both belong with famous smiles, even though they also evoke completely different cultural subjects. The blue group is deliberately broad and historical, while the purple group depends on recognizing a single movie rather than defining the words literally.
Best Value
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
A reliable way through the grid is to lock in the four cat breeds first, then identify the four smile-related entries. Once those are removed, the four landmarks and the four Big Lebowski references become much easier to separate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Connections puzzle number for March 10, 2025?
The NYT Connections puzzle for March 10, 2025 was #638. This archived puzzle should not be confused with the March 10, 2026 puzzle, which was #1003.
What was the yellow category in Connections #638?
The yellow group is CAT BREEDS: RAGAMUFFIN, RUSSIAN BLUE, SPHYNX, and TURKISH ANGORA.
What was the purple category in Connections #638?
The purple group is ASSOCIATED WITH “THE DUDE” LEBOWSKI: BATHROBE, BOWLING, RUG, and WHITE RUSSIAN.
The Bottom Line
Connections #638, from March 10, 2025, is solved by four cat breeds, four famous smiles, four attractions iconic for differing from their original forms, and four references to “The Dude” Lebowski.
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