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Spoiler warning: This page gives the hints and complete solution for the historical Friday, June 6, 2025, NYT Connections puzzle, game #726. If you are still solving, start with the progressive clues below and stop before the answer section.
Hints for Connections #726
Connections asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is generally the most approachable, while purple is usually the most deceptive.
Yellow hint
Think about jobs you might find in a newsroom or newspaper organization.
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Green hint
These words can describe something ordinary, habitual, or occurring each day.
Blue hint
Consider the different meanings and uses of the shortened word “con.”
Purple hint
Each word can be completed—or understood as ending—with the name of a kind of dog.
Connections #726 answers
Stop here if you do not want the solution. The complete board for June 6, 2025, was:
COLUMNIST, EDITOR, PHOTOGRAPHER, REPORTER, COMMON, REGULAR, ROUTINE, STANDARD, CONVENTION, CRIMINAL, DRAWBACK, SWINDLE, NEWSHOUND, SHADOWBOXER, SNICKERDOODLE, TRENDSETTER
Yellow: Newspaper jobs
- COLUMNIST
- EDITOR
- PHOTOGRAPHER
- REPORTER
These are roles associated with producing a newspaper or other news publication. A columnist writes recurring opinion or feature pieces, while editors, photographers, and reporters contribute in different ways to the reporting and presentation of news.
Green: Everyday
- COMMON
- REGULAR
- ROUTINE
- STANDARD
All four words can describe something ordinary, customary, normal, or part of daily life. This group is straightforward individually, but “standard” and “regular” can also function in several other contexts, making them useful decoys.
Blue: What “con” might mean
- CONVENTION
- CRIMINAL
- DRAWBACK
- SWINDLE
This group uses several meanings or extensions of “con.” A con can be a convention, especially in a shortened form such as “comic-con.” A criminal may be called a con, and a drawback is a “con” in a pros-and-cons comparison. As a verb, to con someone is to deceive or swindle them.
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Purple: Ending with kinds of dogs
- NEWSHOUND
- SHADOWBOXER
- SNICKERDOODLE
- TRENDSETTER
The wordplay is at the ends of the entries: hound, boxer, doodle, and setter are all dog types or breed-related terms. The full words are not themselves a single obvious category, which is why this is the puzzle’s trickiest group.
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Why the purple group is difficult
The purple category does not ask you to find four words that directly describe dogs. Instead, it asks you to notice that each answer ends with a dog-related term:
| Board entry | Dog-related ending |
|---|---|
| NEWSHOUND | HOUND |
| SHADOWBOXER | BOXER |
| SNICKERDOODLE | DOODLE |
| TRENDSETTER | SETTER |
News hound is a person who closely follows or aggressively pursues news. A shadowboxer practices boxing against an imaginary opponent. A Snickerdoodle is a type of cookie, and a trendsetter is someone who establishes a new fashion or tendency. Their meanings point in unrelated directions, so the shared endings are easy to overlook.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play Connections
Connections is part of the New York Times Games ecosystem and is available through the Games app, the Connections website, The Athletic, and the News app, according to the NYT’s help material. The daily puzzle is released at midnight in the player’s local time zone, so the date can vary around the world.
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Readers with eligible Games or All Access subscriptions may also be able to replay older puzzles through the Connections archive. The archive’s listed coverage begins on June 12, 2023, but access depends on the account and platform, so availability of this specific historical puzzle should be checked after signing in.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the Connections answer for Friday, June 6, 2025?
The June 6, 2025, NYT Connections puzzle was game #726. Its four categories were Newspaper jobs, Everyday, What “con” might mean, and Ending with kinds of dogs.
What was the purple group in Connections #726?
The purple answers were NEWSHOUND, SHADOWBOXER, SNICKERDOODLE, and TRENDSETTER. Their endings are HOUND, BOXER, DOODLE, and SETTER.
Can I replay the June 6, 2025, Connections puzzle?
Connections is available through the Games app, the Connections website, The Athletic, and the News app. Older puzzles may be available in the archive to eligible Games or All Access subscribers.
The Bottom Line
The June 6, 2025, Connections puzzle (#726) grouped its words into newspaper jobs, everyday terms, meanings of “con,” and words ending in dog types.
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