NYT Connections #656 was published on Friday, March 28, 2025. Use the progressive hints first, then open the spoiler sections for the four categories and explanations.
NYT Connections #656 was published on Friday, March 28, 2025. The puzzle uses a mix of throwing verbs, classic Girl Scout uniform pieces, words associated with being on both sides, and phrases completed by “Hall.” If you want to keep solving, start with the board and progressive hints below before opening the answer sections.
The 16 words in Connections #656
Here is the full board:
- CHUCK
- MONTY
- BRACKET
- CITY
- SKIRT
- PITCH
- FLANK
- BADGE
- STUDY
- SASH
- SLING
- BOOKEND
- SURROUND
- BINGO
- BERET
- PELT
Hints for March 28’s Connections puzzle
Try these clues in order. The first gives only the general idea; the later clues make the categories more specific.
- Yellow: These words can mean to hurl or throw something.
- Green: These words describe being positioned on both sides of something.
- Blue: These are parts of a traditional Girl Scout uniform.
- Purple: Put the same word after each answer to make a phrase or title. That word is “Hall.”
Stronger category clues
- Yellow: Think of four different verbs for throwing an object.
- Green: One word refers to the ends of a row, one can frame material, one means standing at the sides, and one means being all around something.
- Blue: Look for four recognizable pieces or accessories from a classic Girl Scout outfit.
- Purple: The resulting phrases include a venue, a civic building, a person’s name, and a school setting.
NYT Connections #656 answers
Spoiler warning: The complete groups and explanations are below. Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle without seeing the answers.
#1 Best Overall
Yellow: HURL
- CHUCK
- PELT
- PITCH
- SLING
All four can mean to throw something. You can chuck or pitch an object, pelt someone or something with objects, or sling something through the air.
Green: BE ON BOTH SIDES OF
- BOOKEND
- BRACKET
- FLANK
- SURROUND
This is the puzzle’s most varied grammatical group. A bookend sits at either end of a row of books. Brackets can enclose or frame text. To flank something is to stand on either side of it, while to surround something is to be around it.
Blue: PARTS OF A CLASSIC GIRL SCOUT UNIFORM
- BADGE
- BERET
- SASH
- SKIRT
Badge, beret, sash, and skirt are all recognizable elements associated with a classic Girl Scout uniform.
Purple: ____ HALL
- BINGO — bingo hall
- CITY — City Hall
- MONTY — Monty Hall
- STUDY — study hall
The purple group is the most abstract because the completed expressions are not all the same kind of thing. A bingo hall is a venue, City Hall is a civic building or local-government institution, Monty Hall is a person’s name, and study hall is a school period or setting.
Why this puzzle could be tricky
The board contains several tempting associations. CHUCK may look like a body-related word, while SKIRT and FLANK can also suggest clothing or anatomy. Those connections are distractions from the intended groups. The throwing category is especially easy to miss because CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, and SLING do not look alike; they are linked by meaning rather than by spelling or phrase pattern.
Several entries can also function as either nouns or verbs. That flexibility helps create plausible false groupings, particularly around BRACKET, FLANK, and SURROUND. The cleanest route is to recognize the four uniform items first, then identify the four throwing verbs. After those eight words are removed, BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK, and SURROUND become the natural remaining set, leaving the four “____ Hall” answers.
Answer guides characterized this puzzle as moderate, or approximately three out of five in difficulty. That is a subjective description, not an official New York Times performance rating.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Date and puzzle-number clarification
This answer page is for Friday, March 28, 2025, puzzle #656. The date in the title should not be read as March 28, 2026: that later date corresponded to a different Connections puzzle, numbered #1021.
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If you enjoy word-grouping games and want a screen-free option, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! is a physical New York Times Games puzzle book that includes Connections-related material. Check the current edition and availability before buying, since product listings can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What date was NYT Connections #656?
NYT Connections puzzle #656 was published on Friday, March 28, 2025. It is not the March 28, 2026 puzzle, which was numbered #1021.
What is the purple category in Connections #656?
The four purple answers are BINGO, CITY, MONTY, and STUDY: bingo hall, City Hall, Monty Hall, and study hall.
What is the yellow category in Connections #656?
The four yellow answers are CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, and SLING. Each can mean to throw or hurl something.
The Bottom Line
The four groups for NYT Connections #656 are CHUCK, PELT, PITCH, SLING for HURL; BOOKEND, BRACKET, FLANK, SURROUND for BE ON BOTH SIDES OF; BADGE, BERET, SASH, SKIRT for classic Girl Scout uniform parts; and BINGO, CITY, MONTY, STUDY for words followed by HALL.
Quick Recap
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