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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →This is the archived NYT Connections puzzle for Saturday, April 26, 2025: puzzle #685. Read the clues first, then use the spoiler-marked answer key below if you want the full groups.
April 26, 2025 Connections grid
The 16 words in puzzle #685 were:
GLEN, GARY, ROSS, COLOR, HOPE, HOLLOW, SHADE, LUBE, DELL, DOLE, GENRE, TONE, HUE, DRE, DALE, MARLEY.
Hints, from broad to specific
- Broad nudge: Think of a tint, a valley, people named Bob, and colors rearranged.
- Yellow: Terms related to a tint or color nuance.
- Green: Words meaning a valley.
- Blue: People whose first name is Bob.
- Purple: Rearrange each word to spell a color.
Spoilers: full answers for #685
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Yellow — TINT | COLOR, HUE, SHADE, TONE |
| Green — VALLEY | DALE, DELL, GLEN, HOLLOW |
| Blue — BOBS | DOLE, HOPE, MARLEY, ROSS |
| Purple — COLOR ANAGRAMS | DRE, GARY, GENRE, LUBE |
Why the purple group works
Each word in the purple group can be rearranged to make a color: DRE becomes RED, GARY becomes GRAY, GENRE becomes GREEN, and LUBE becomes BLUE. They are not color names as written; the connection is the letter rearrangement.
How Connections is organized
For context, Forbes describes the game format as 16 words divided into four groups of four, with a four-mistake limit. That is a secondary guide’s description of the gameplay format, not an official rules quotation.
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