A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #621
hints & answers for February 21, 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 21, 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 A, F, R and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ANSWER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

WAY OF SOLVING A PROBLEM

Reveal all four words
  • ANSWER
  • FIX
  • REMEDY
  • SOLUTION

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with G, H, P and R. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

GATHER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

COLLECT, AS FROM AN ORCHARD

Reveal all four words
  • GATHER
  • HARVEST
  • PICK
  • REAP

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with E, E, L and M. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ERASER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PHOTOSHOP TOOLS

Reveal all four words
  • ERASER
  • EYEDROPPER
  • LASSO
  • MAGIC WAND

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BASEBALL GLOVE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

OBJECTS THAT MAY BE RIGHT- OR LEFT-HANDED

Reveal all four words
  • BASEBALL GLOVE
  • CAN OPENER
  • GOLF CLUB
  • GUITAR
Show categories only
  • Yellow: WAY OF SOLVING A PROBLEM
  • Green: COLLECT, AS FROM AN ORCHARD
  • Blue: PHOTOSHOP TOOLS
  • Purple: OBJECTS THAT MAY BE RIGHT- OR LEFT-HANDED

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

WAY OF SOLVING A PROBLEM

ANSWER · FIX · REMEDY · SOLUTION

Green

COLLECT, AS FROM AN ORCHARD

GATHER · HARVEST · PICK · REAP

Blue

PHOTOSHOP TOOLS

ERASER · EYEDROPPER · LASSO · MAGIC WAND

Purple

OBJECTS THAT MAY BE RIGHT- OR LEFT-HANDED

BASEBALL GLOVE · CAN OPENER · GOLF CLUB · GUITAR

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.