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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →NYT Connections #653 is the archived puzzle from Tuesday, March 25, 2025—not March 25, 2026. The answers are BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS, ANAGRAMS, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NICKNAMES, and CLEAR AS ___. Use the spoiler-controlled hints first, then reveal the complete grid and explanations.
NYT Connections #653 is the puzzle from Tuesday, March 25, 2025. Its four groups are BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS, ANAGRAMS, U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NICKNAMES, and CLEAR AS ___.
This is an archived answer guide, so the date matters: it is not referring to a March 25, 2026 puzzle. If you are still working through the grid, use the hints below before revealing the complete solution.
Hints for Connections #653
Warning: The full answers appear below the hint section.
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Yellow-group hint
Think of familiar things commonly associated with black and white.
Green-group hint
Four entries can be rearranged to use exactly the same four letters.
Blue-group hint
Four entries are informal names associated with U.S. presidents.
Purple-group hint
Complete the phrase: “clear as ___.”
NYT Connections answers for March 25, 2025
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS | CROSSWORD, OREO, PANDA, TUXEDO |
| Green | ANAGRAMS | ABEL, ABLE, BALE, BELA |
| Blue | U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NICKNAMES | ABE, CAL, DICK, TEDDY |
| Purple | CLEAR AS ___ | A BELL, CRYSTAL, DAY, MUD |
How the Connections #653 groups work
Yellow: BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS
CROSSWORD, OREO, PANDA, and TUXEDO make up the yellow group.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA crossword puzzle is conventionally printed as a black-and-white grid. An Oreo has a familiar black-and-white appearance, pandas are naturally associated with black-and-white coloring, and a traditional tuxedo combines black and white formalwear.
OREO can feel less certain than PANDA or TUXEDO because it is a brand name rather than a type of object defined by its colors. In this puzzle, however, its recognizable black-and-white appearance is the intended connection.
Green: ANAGRAMS
ABEL, ABLE, BALE, and BELA all contain the same four letters: A, B, E, and L.
The words differ only in the order of those letters:
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- ABEL
- ABLE
- BALE
- BELA
This is a structural category rather than a meaning-based one. The unusual-looking BELA is especially helpful once the anagram pattern becomes visible, while ABLE and BALE can initially appear to belong to unrelated word groups.
Blue: U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NICKNAMES
ABE, CAL, DICK, and TEDDY are informal names associated with U.S. presidents:
- ABE — Abraham Lincoln
- CAL — Calvin Coolidge
- DICK — Richard Nixon
- TEDDY — Theodore Roosevelt
The category is easy to miss because the entries look like ordinary first names or nicknames. ABE is associated with Lincoln, CAL with Coolidge, DICK with Nixon, and TEDDY with Roosevelt. The group becomes more convincing after the anagram entries are removed from the board.
Purple: CLEAR AS ___
A BELL, CRYSTAL, DAY, and MUD complete the phrase “clear as ___.”
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- Clear as crystal
- Clear as day
- Clear as mud
The trap is CLEAR AS MUD. Although the phrase fits grammatically, it usually means that something is confusing or difficult to understand—the opposite of clear. That reversal is precisely why it works as the purple-group entry.
Why this puzzle can produce false leads
Connections presents sixteen words and asks players to divide them into four groups of four. The challenge is not just recognizing relationships; it is finding the intended relationship while avoiding plausible alternatives.
In this grid, several entries invite competing interpretations:
- CRYSTAL and DAY may suggest names associated with actors or other public figures.
- BALE can point toward actor Christian Bale or toward the anagram group.
- A BELL may look like a person-related clue before it is recognized as part of the phrase “clear as a bell.”
- OREO may cause hesitation because its black-and-white connection is visual and cultural rather than categorical.
A reliable solving approach is to lock in the most concrete group first, then use the remaining entries to test less obvious categories. Here, the black-and-white group is comparatively accessible, the four-letter anagrams form a strong mechanical pattern, and the presidential nicknames become clearer after those words are removed. The phrase-completion group is left as the deliberately slippery purple category.
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More puzzles like Connections
For an offline collection of related word games, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! is a puzzle book identified as featuring Connections alongside other NYT Games. It is a separate source of puzzle material—not a book containing the March 25, 2025 grid and not a required aid for solving this archived puzzle. Check the current edition, availability, and retailer terms before buying.
To play future editions, use the official NYT Games destination. Access options and subscription terms can change, so check the current offering directly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which date is NYT Connections #653?
NYT Connections #653 was the Tuesday, March 25, 2025 puzzle. This guide is not referring to a March 25, 2026 edition.
Why is MUD in the CLEAR AS ___ group?
The purple group is CLEAR AS ___: A BELL, CRYSTAL, DAY, and MUD. “Clear as mud” is the misleading phrase because it usually means confusing rather than easy to understand.
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Which Connections answers are anagrams?
The anagrams are ABEL, ABLE, BALE, and BELA. Each uses exactly the same four letters—A, B, E, and L—in a different order.
The Bottom Line
Connections #653, from March 25, 2025, solves as: BLACK-AND-WHITE THINGS — CROSSWORD, OREO, PANDA, TUXEDO; ANAGRAMS — ABEL, ABLE, BALE, BELA; U.S. PRESIDENTIAL NICKNAMES — ABE, CAL, DICK, TEDDY; CLEAR AS ___ — A BELL, CRYSTAL, DAY, MUD.
Quick Recap
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