A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #664
hints & answers for April 5, 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 April 5, 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 C, E, R and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CONTRACT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

EMPLOY

Reveal all four words
  • CONTRACT
  • ENGAGE
  • RETAIN
  • SIGN

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BANNER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PARTS OF A WEBSITE

Reveal all four words
  • BANNER
  • HEADER
  • MENU
  • SIDEBAR

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
Gentle hint

Think of titles you could find on a newsstand.

Show one word

BILLBOARD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MAGAZINES

Reveal all four words
  • BILLBOARD
  • PEOPLE
  • STAR
  • TIME

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CROSSWORD belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ENDING WITH MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

Reveal all four words
  • CROSSWORD
  • GRIMACE
  • RAINBOW
  • SEMBLANCE
Show categories only
  • Yellow: EMPLOY
  • Green: PARTS OF A WEBSITE
  • Blue: MAGAZINES
  • Purple: ENDING WITH MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

EMPLOY

CONTRACT · ENGAGE · RETAIN · SIGN

Green

PARTS OF A WEBSITE

BANNER · HEADER · MENU · SIDEBAR

Blue

MAGAZINES

BILLBOARD · PEOPLE · STAR · TIME

Purple

ENDING WITH MEDIEVAL WEAPONS

CROSSWORD · GRIMACE · RAINBOW · SEMBLANCE

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.