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NYT Connections #656 was published on March 28, 2025. The key to solving it is to identify four throwing verbs, then separate a spatial-position category from classic Girl Scout uniform items. Full spoilers, hints and explanations follow.
Connections #656 was published on Friday, March 28, 2025. The quickest route through this grid is to spot four throwing verbs first, then separate the positional words from the entries that belong to a classic Girl Scout uniform.
Hints for Connections #656
Here are spoiler-light clues for each category, ordered by the puzzle’s usual color sequence:
- Yellow: Fling something.
- Green: Something that can be on the left and right sides of another thing.
- Blue: Items associated with a classic Girl Scout uniform.
- Purple: Add a word that commonly precedes “Hall.”
Today’s Connections answers for March 28, 2025
Here are all four groups in Connections #656:
- HURL: CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, SLING
- BE ON BOTH SIDES OF: BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK, SURROUND
- PARTS OF A CLASSIC GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM: BADGE, BERET, SASH, SKIRT
- ___ HALL: BINGO, CITY, MONTY, STUDY
Connections #656 category explanations
Yellow: HURL
CHUCK, PELT, PITCH and SLING can all mean to throw or fling something. This is the most direct group in the grid once the words are read as actions rather than as nouns or names.
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Green: BE ON BOTH SIDES OF
BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK and SURROUND describe something positioned at, on or around both sides of another thing. “Bookend” and “flank” are particularly useful anchors: objects can bookend or flank something, while something can be bracketed or surrounded by other things.
Blue: Parts of a classic Girl Scout uniform
BADGE, BERET, SASH and SKIRT are recognizable elements associated with a traditional or classic Girl Scout uniform. Unlike the yellow group, this category depends more on cultural familiarity than on a shared definition or word pattern.
Rank #2
Purple: ___ HALL
BINGO, CITY, MONTY and STUDY form familiar expressions when followed by “Hall”: bingo hall, City Hall, Monty Hall and study hall.
Monty is the potentially less obvious entry. It refers to Monty Hall, the television host whose name is also associated with the Monty Hall problem. That proper-name connection completes the purple group.
Why this puzzle can be tricky
Connections is designed so that plausible relationships compete with the intended groups. The official New York Times description explains that the 16 words must be divided into four groups of four, and that words may appear to fit more than one category.
That misdirection is visible here. CHUCK, PITCH and FLANK can initially evoke food or meat-related associations, but CHUCK and PITCH belong with the other throwing verbs. Meanwhile, FLANK belongs with BOOKEND, BRACKET and SURROUND because the intended idea is spatial positioning.
The final group is likely to be the hardest to recognize. BINGO, CITY and STUDY are ordinary phrases ending in “Hall,” whereas MONTY requires recognizing a person’s name. If that group is left until the end, the proper-name connection can make the remaining four words fall into place.
A practical solving order for #656
- Start with the throwing verbs. CHUCK, PELT, PITCH and SLING make the cleanest semantic group.
- Look for the spatial relationship. With the obvious verbs removed, BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK and SURROUND point toward something being on or around both sides of another thing.
- Recognize the uniform category. BADGE, BERET, SASH and SKIRT form a visual and cultural set.
- Use the remaining words for the phrase group. BINGO HALL, CITY HALL and STUDY HALL suggest that MONTY must be read as Monty Hall.
Want more Connections practice?
If you want more category-matching puzzles after solving #656, look for the official Connections puzzle book. Simon & Schuster’s publisher information describes it as a hardcover collection with more than 100 puzzles, including exclusive puzzles, behind-the-scenes material and variations on the 4×4 format. The publisher page lists ISBN 9798893312607 and a publication date of October 22, 2026.
That book is a separate collection of puzzles; there is no basis here to say that it includes Connections #656. Availability and retailer details may vary by country and publication date.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What is Connections?
In the New York Times word game Connections, you are given 16 words and must arrange them into four groups of four. Each group has a shared theme and is assigned one of four difficulty colors. The challenge comes from finding the intended relationship while avoiding tempting groups that are technically plausible but not part of the solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the Connections answers for March 28, 2025?
Connections #656 was published on Friday, March 28, 2025. Its groups were HURL; BE ON BOTH SIDES OF; parts of a classic Girl Scout uniform; and ___ HALL.
What does “Monty” mean in Connections #656?
Monty refers to Monty Hall, the television host associated with the Monty Hall problem. It completes the phrase “Monty Hall.”
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteHow do you play NYT Connections?
The official New York Times Help Center says the game presents 16 words to divide into four groups of four. The categories are intentionally tricky because words can appear to fit multiple groups.
The Bottom Line
Connections #656 answers: HURL — CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, SLING; BE ON BOTH SIDES OF — BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK, SURROUND; classic Girl Scout uniform — BADGE, BERET, SASH, SKIRT; and ___ HALL — BINGO, CITY, MONTY, STUDY.
Quick Recap
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