A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #632
hints & answers for March 4, 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 March 4, 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 D, F, G and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DEWY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ADJECTIVES FOR NICE SKIN

Reveal all four words
  • DEWY
  • FRESH
  • GLOWING
  • SMOOTH

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

MAT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MESS OF HAIR

Reveal all four words
  • MAT
  • MOP
  • TANGLE
  • THATCH

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BUCKET belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DICKENS CHARACTERS

Reveal all four words
  • BUCKET
  • PIP
  • SCROOGE
  • TWIST

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try adding the same ending to each entry.

Show one word

DAISY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

___ CHAIN

Reveal all four words
  • DAISY
  • FOOD
  • MOUNTAIN
  • SUPPLY

Each entry comes before "CHAIN" to form a word, expression or name: DAISY → DAISY CHAIN; FOOD → FOOD CHAIN; MOUNTAIN → MOUNTAIN CHAIN; SUPPLY → SUPPLY CHAIN.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: ADJECTIVES FOR NICE SKIN
  • Green: MESS OF HAIR
  • Blue: DICKENS CHARACTERS
  • Purple: ___ CHAIN

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

ADJECTIVES FOR NICE SKIN

DEWY · FRESH · GLOWING · SMOOTH

Green

MESS OF HAIR

MAT · MOP · TANGLE · THATCH

Blue

DICKENS CHARACTERS

BUCKET · PIP · SCROOGE · TWIST

Purple

___ CHAIN

DAISY · FOOD · MOUNTAIN · SUPPLY

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.