Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsNeed a nudge before the reveal? The May 10, 2025, NYT Connections puzzle is #699. Its four themes are letter sign-offs, absence, energy, and familiar phrases ending in “strip.” Progressive hints and the complete groups are below.
Hints for Connections #699
These category clues are reported by puzzle guides, not presented as official NYT category wording. Start with the color hints; the full answers follow.
- Yellow: Ways to sign off a letter.
- Green: Without or lacking.
- Blue: Vigor or energy.
- Purple: Words that come before “strip.”
A compact nudge: think about email closings, absence, energy, and familiar phrases ending in “strip.”
Answers for May 10, 2025
Spoilers below: the four categories and all sixteen words are revealed.
#1 Best Overall
| Color | Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | LETTER SIGN-OFFS | BEST, CHEERS, LOVE, SINCERELY | Each can close a letter or message. |
| Green | WITHOUT | ABSENT, MINUS, SANS, WANTING | Each can express absence or lack; WANTING is used in the sense of lacking. |
| Blue | VIGOR | BEANS, ENERGY, PEP, ZIP | Each can refer to liveliness or energy. BEANS is used in its vigor-related sense. |
| Purple | ___ STRIP | BACON, COMIC, LANDING, SUNSET | Each forms a familiar phrase with “strip”: bacon strip, comic strip, landing strip, and Sunset Strip. |
Full board
BEANS, MINUS, LOVE, ENERGY, ZIP, BEST, COMIC, SANS, SINCERELY, WANTING, BACON, SUNSET, ABSENT, LANDING, CHEERS, PEP.
How difficult was this puzzle?
Tom’s Guide reported a Connections Companion difficulty rating of 3 out of 5 for puzzle #699 on May 10, 2025. That is a reported rating for this puzzle, not a measure of how often players solved it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How Connections works
The New York Times Help Center describes Connections as a word game about finding themes between words. Players sort sixteen words into four groups of four, each associated with one of four colors. NYT says each puzzle has exactly one solution, while noting that words can seem to fit more than one category.
The Help Center says the daily puzzle becomes available at midnight in the player’s timezone. It lists the Connections website, Games app, NYTimes.com/theathletic, and News app as places to play. Its archive goes back to June 12, 2023, and is available to All Access and Games subscribers. Archived play affects some statistics but not current or maximum streaks. Access terms can change.
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Sources
- Tom’s Guide, “NYT Connections today hints and answers — Saturday, May 10 (#699),” May 10, 2025 — tile list, category clues, answers, and reported difficulty rating.
- Parade, “NYT ‘Connections’ Hints and Answers Today, Saturday, May 10,” May 10, 2025 — corroborates the date, puzzle number, and groups.
- The New York Times Help Center, “Connections” — gameplay, release timing, platforms, and archive access.
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