Spoiler warning: NYT Connections puzzle #779 for Tuesday, July 29, 2025, grouped the 16 words into DISCOUNT, IRRITATE, POKER ACTIONS, and THINGS YOU CAN PUMP. Hints appear before the full solution below.
NYT Connections puzzle #779 was published on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. The four categories were DISCOUNT, IRRITATE, POKER ACTIONS, and THINGS YOU CAN PUMP.
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Hints for NYT Connections #779
- Yellow: Think about lower prices and promotional offers.
- Green: These words can mean to annoy or provoke someone.
- Blue: These are actions you can take during a poker hand.
- Purple: Find words that commonly follow the verb “pump.”
Answers for the July 29, 2025 Connections puzzle
Here are the four completed groups:
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Yellow — DISCOUNT | DEAL, PROMOTION, SALE, SPECIAL |
| Green — IRRITATE | BUG, NETTLE, RUFFLE, STEAM |
| Blue — POKER ACTIONS | CALL, CHECK, FOLD, RAISE |
| Purple — THINGS YOU CAN PUMP | BRAKES, FIST, GAS, IRON |
Yellow: DISCOUNT
DEAL, PROMOTION, SALE, and SPECIAL can all describe a price reduction or an appealing shopping offer.
SPECIAL is the likeliest trap in this group. On its own, it is a broad adjective, but a “special” can also mean a specially priced product or promotional offer. The words do not all function as exact synonyms in every sentence; they are connected by their use in retail and discount language.
#1 Best Overall
Green: IRRITATE
BUG, NETTLE, RUFFLE, and STEAM can each describe annoying, upsetting, or provoking someone.
- To bug someone is to annoy them.
- To nettle someone is to irritate or provoke them.
- To ruffle someone is to disturb or upset them.
- To steam someone is to anger or infuriate them.
This is a meaning-based group rather than a set of one fixed phrase. STEAM can initially suggest heat or energy, which makes it easier to overlook its verb meaning: making someone angry.
Rank #2
Blue: POKER ACTIONS
CALL, CHECK, FOLD, and RAISE are all standard actions available to a player during a poker hand.
- Call: Match the current bet.
- Check: Pass the action without betting when no wager requires a response.
- Fold: Give up the hand rather than continue.
- Raise: Increase the amount of the current bet.
The group may become apparent once poker is considered, although CALL and CHECK are common in many non-poker situations too. That broader vocabulary is typical of Connections: a word may fit several tempting ideas, but only one arrangement uses all 16 entries exactly once.
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Purple: THINGS YOU CAN PUMP
BRAKES, FIST, GAS, and IRON connect through familiar expressions:
- Pump the brakes
- Pump a fist
- Pump gas
- Pump iron
This is the most lateral group in the puzzle. The words do not belong to one narrow subject category; they become connected through the different phrases formed with pump. IRON may first bring to mind a household appliance, while GAS may suggest fuel rather than the action of filling a vehicle. The shared verb reveals the intended connection.
Why this Connections puzzle was tricky
NYT Connections presents 16 words and asks players to divide them into four groups of four. The categories are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is generally the most straightforward, followed by green and blue, while purple is usually the most abstract or wordplay-heavy.
This board used several deliberate false leads:
- SPECIAL is a less direct way to describe a discount than “sale” or “deal.”
- STEAM can point toward heat instead of irritation.
- CALL and CHECK have many everyday meanings beyond poker.
- IRON becomes part of the purple group only when read in the phrase “pump iron.”
The safest way through a difficult board is to test a complete set of four rather than locking onto one appealing pair or trio. A proposed category must account for all four words cleanly and leave a coherent board behind.
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Want more Connections puzzles?
For a screen-free option, the official Connections puzzle book collects additional puzzles in print and was curated as an official physical collection. It is a good fit for readers who enjoy the daily game but want more word-grouping challenges away from a screen. The book should not be assumed to contain the July 29, 2025 daily puzzle unless its product details specifically confirm that.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the NYT Connections answers for July 29, 2025?
The four categories were DISCOUNT, IRRITATE, POKER ACTIONS, and THINGS YOU CAN PUMP. The words were DEAL, PROMOTION, SALE, SPECIAL; BUG, NETTLE, RUFFLE, STEAM; CALL, CHECK, FOLD, RAISE; and BRAKES, FIST, GAS, IRON, respectively.
Why were BRAKES, FIST, GAS, and IRON grouped together?
The purple group used familiar expressions with “pump”: pump the brakes, pump a fist, pump gas, and pump iron.
The Bottom Line
The July 29, 2025 NYT Connections solution was DEAL, PROMOTION, SALE, SPECIAL for DISCOUNT; BUG, NETTLE, RUFFLE, STEAM for IRRITATE; CALL, CHECK, FOLD, RAISE for POKER ACTIONS; and BRAKES, FIST, GAS, IRON for THINGS YOU CAN PUMP.
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