Need help with NYT Connections #729 for Monday, June 9, 2025? The puzzle asks you to divide 16 words into four groups of four. Below, you’ll find progressively stronger clues—from category-level hints to one-word nudges and finally the complete solution.
Spoiler warning: Stop before the next section if you want to keep solving on your own.
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Hints for Connections #729
These clues describe the four categories without naming the answers:
- Yellow: Commands you might use with a keyboard.
- Green: Things you can arrange or obtain ahead of time.
- Blue: Words that can describe a criminal group or organization.
- Purple: Add one letter to each word to form a Spelling Bee rank or rank-related word.
One-word clues
Still stuck? Here is one representative word from each group:
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- Yellow: SAVE
- Green: RESERVE
- Blue: SYNDICATE
- Purple: GENUS
Full answers for Connections #729
Spoilers below. The four official groupings reported for the June 9, 2025, puzzle are as follows. The puzzle number is important: #729 belongs to 2025, not June 9, 2026, which was a different and much later puzzle.
Yellow: Keyboard shortcut commands
PASTE, PRINT, QUIT, SAVE
Each word is a familiar computer command that can be invoked through a keyboard shortcut. The category is about the command itself, rather than one particular shortcut combination or operating system. For example, the exact keys for saving or pasting vary by device and platform, but the commands are recognizable across many computer interfaces.
Green: Secure in advance
BOOK, ORDER, REQUEST, RESERVE
These verbs can all describe arranging something before it is needed. You can book a room, order an item, request a service or appointment, or reserve a place. Their broad planning and transaction meanings make this group easy to confuse with other possible combinations on the board.
Rank #2
Blue: Crime organization
CREW, FAMILY, RING, SYNDICATE
All four words can refer to an organized criminal group. FAMILY is the trap: it has common household and kinship meanings, but “family” can also describe a crime organization, particularly in organized-crime contexts. CREW and RING likewise have plenty of ordinary meanings outside this category.
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GENUS, GOO, MAZING, SLID
This is the puzzle’s wordplay group. Add one letter to each entry:
| Board word | Add | Completed word |
|---|---|---|
| GENUS | I | GENIUS |
| GOO | D | GOOD |
| MAZING | A | AMAZING |
| SLID | O | SOLID |
The completed words correspond to New York Times Spelling Bee achievement ranks or rank-related terms. This is why the purple category is harder than the others: the four visible entries are not direct synonyms. They are incomplete forms that become the relevant words only after a letter is inserted.
Why this puzzle was tricky
The yellow group is broad because PASTE, PRINT, QUIT, and SAVE are all ordinary computer vocabulary as well as shortcut commands. The green words overlap as verbs for planning, purchasing, or arranging something, so several may initially seem interchangeable.
The blue group becomes clearer once the “crime organization” interpretation appears, but FAMILY is deliberately misleading because its everyday meaning is so strong. The purple group is intended as the late-game challenge: words such as GENUS and SLID look unrelated until you test whether adding a single letter creates a Spelling Bee achievement term.
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Where to play Connections
Connections is available through the official NYT Games website or app. The New York Times Help Center lists Connections among the games included with a Games subscription, while noting that daily Connections play can also be available without a Games subscription. The Games app supports access to games and player statistics; availability and access terms can vary by location, account, and subscription status. See the NYT Games subscription information for current details.
How to approach similar Connections puzzles
- Start with the most concrete group. Commands, occupations, foods, or other clearly defined sets are usually easier to test than broad themes.
- Look for four members, not just a pair. Two words may share a connection by accident; a valid group must explain all four without special pleading.
- Test alternate meanings. A word such as FAMILY can be ordinary in one context and technical or idiomatic in another.
- Save unusual wordplay for last. If three categories are nearly complete and four strange fragments remain, check whether letters can be added, removed, or rearranged.
- Watch for overlapping verbs. BOOK, ORDER, REQUEST, and RESERVE can all relate to planning, but the intended category depends on the shared wording that best fits all four.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the answers to NYT Connections #729 for June 9, 2025?
The groups are Yellow: PASTE, PRINT, QUIT, SAVE; Green: BOOK, ORDER, REQUEST, RESERVE; Blue: CREW, FAMILY, RING, SYNDICATE; and Purple: GENUS, GOO, MAZING, SLID.
What is the purple category in Connections #729?
Add one letter to each word to form a Spelling Bee rank or rank-related word: GENUS becomes GENIUS, GOO becomes GOOD, MAZING becomes AMAZING, and SLID becomes SOLID.
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Best Value
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
Is Connections #729 from June 9, 2025 or June 9, 2026?
Connections #729 is the Monday, June 9, 2025, puzzle. June 9, 2026 was associated with a different, later puzzle number.
Where can I play NYT Connections?
You can play Connections through the New York Times Games website or app. Daily play may be available without a Games subscription, while the subscription includes Connections and other game features subject to current access terms.
The Bottom Line
The key to Connections #729 is to recognize four keyboard commands, four ways to arrange something in advance, four terms for a criminal organization, and four words that become Spelling Bee rank-related terms after one letter is added.
Quick Recap
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