A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #617
hints & answers for February 17, 2025

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows February 17, 2025. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, L, R and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BREAK belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TIME OFF

Reveal all four words
  • BREAK
  • LEAVE
  • REST
  • VACATION

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, S, W and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CURVE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FOLLOW A MEANDERING COURSE

Reveal all four words
  • CURVE
  • SNAKE
  • WEAVE
  • WIND

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, S, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DOUBLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BOWLING RESULTS

Reveal all four words
  • DOUBLE
  • SPARE
  • STRIKE
  • TURKEY

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try adding the same ending to each entry.

Show one word

BLOW belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

___FISH

Reveal all four words
  • BLOW
  • CAT
  • GOLD
  • SWORD

Each entry comes before "FISH" to form a word, expression or name: BLOW → BLOW FISH; CAT → CAT FISH; GOLD → GOLD FISH; SWORD → SWORD FISH.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: TIME OFF
  • Green: FOLLOW A MEANDERING COURSE
  • Blue: BOWLING RESULTS
  • Purple: ___FISH

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

TIME OFF

BREAK · LEAVE · REST · VACATION

Green

FOLLOW A MEANDERING COURSE

CURVE · SNAKE · WEAVE · WIND

Blue

BOWLING RESULTS

DOUBLE · SPARE · STRIKE · TURKEY

Purple

___FISH

BLOW · CAT · GOLD · SWORD

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.