A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #770
hints & answers for July 20, 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 July 20, 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, B, G and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BOP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MOVE TO THE MUSIC

Reveal all four words
  • BOP
  • BOUNCE
  • GROOVE
  • SWAY

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

DRAG belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

INHALATION

Reveal all four words
  • DRAG
  • DRAW
  • PUFF
  • PULL

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

DRY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS

Reveal all four words
  • DRY
  • GIN
  • SHAKEN
  • TWIST

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try adding the same ending to each entry.

Show one word

BUZZ belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

___WORD

Reveal all four words
  • BUZZ
  • CROSS
  • LOAN
  • PASS

Each entry comes before "WORD" to form a word, expression or name: BUZZ → BUZZ WORD; CROSS → CROSS WORD; LOAN → LOAN WORD; PASS → PASS WORD.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: MOVE TO THE MUSIC
  • Green: INHALATION
  • Blue: MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS
  • Purple: ___WORD

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

MOVE TO THE MUSIC

BOP · BOUNCE · GROOVE · SWAY

Green

INHALATION

DRAG · DRAW · PUFF · PULL

Blue

MARTINI SPECIFICATIONS

DRY · GIN · SHAKEN · TWIST

Purple

___WORD

BUZZ · CROSS · LOAN · PASS

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.