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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11This is the archived Sunday, April 27, 2025, NYT Connections puzzle, #686—not today’s game. Start with the hint ladder below if you want to solve it yourself; the full groups and answers follow after a spoiler warning.
Hints for Connections #686
These paraphrased hints move from broad to specific. Stop whenever you have enough to keep solving.
- Things you might see on a particular device.
- Related to something found on a person’s head.
- Bite-sized foods.
- The words in the final category follow a common seven-letter adjective describing things from a Scandinavian country.
Spoiler warning: the April 27 answers
The complete category names and words are below.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Calculator Buttons | EQUALS, MINUS, PERCENT, TIMES |
| Green | Amounts of Hair | LOCK, SHOCK, THATCH, TUFT |
| Blue | Salty Snack Unit | COMBO, GOLDFISH, RUFFLE, TAKI |
| Purple | Swedish ___ | CHEF, FISH, MASSAGE, MEATBALL |
How the word groups connect
Yellow: Calculator Buttons
EQUALS, MINUS, PERCENT, and TIMES are buttons or functions you may find on a calculator.
Green: Amounts of Hair
LOCK, SHOCK, THATCH, and TUFT can each describe a quantity or mass of hair.
#1 Best Overall
Blue: Salty Snack Unit
COMBO, GOLDFISH, RUFFLE, and TAKI are salty snack names or units used in the category label.
Purple: Swedish ___
Add SWEDISH before CHEF, FISH, MASSAGE, and MEATBALL to complete familiar phrases.
Rank #2
What makes the board tricky
Several words can suggest more than one association. Rather than grouping by the first surface meaning that comes to mind, test whether the words form a consistent phrase or category together. The board’s progression runs from calculator controls and hair terms to snack names and the “Swedish ___” phrase.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.About the puzzle
Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four hidden groups of four. ComicBook.com describes the colors as progressing from Yellow, Green, Blue, then Purple, from easiest to hardest. This archived puzzle was identified as #686 by both Parade and ComicBook.com in their April 27, 2025 coverage.
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