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**Connections** stands out as one of the top games from the New York Times, intriguing word game lovers everywhere. Similar to Wordle, Connections prompts players to discern “common threads between words” — and it refreshes daily at midnight with a new, often more challenging puzzle. If you’re feeling stuck, don’t fret — we have hints, tips, and even today’s complete solution to assist you.
If you’d like to go straight to today’s answers, scroll down. Otherwise, continue reading for insightful clues and strategies!
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### What is Connections?
Connections is the New York Times’ newest daily word game phenomenon, swiftly gaining traction across social media platforms. Created with the assistance of associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the game is accessible on both web and mobile platforms. The goal? To organize four words that have a shared connection.
Each puzzle provides 16 words, which must be classified into four different categories. These categories can encompass anything — from book titles to software names to countries. While multiple words may appear related, only one correct grouping exists for each collection.
Upon correctly identifying a group of four, those words vanish from the board. But be cautious: incorrect guesses count as errors, and you only have four mistakes before the game concludes.
You can also rearrange the words to uncover new connections. Each group is indicated by color to represent difficulty: yellow (easiest), green, blue, and purple (hardest). And similar to Wordle, you can share your outcomes with friends online.
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### Need a hint for today’s Connections?
Looking for a little assistance without revealing too much? Here are some clues for today’s categories:
– Yellow: **Shade**
– Green: **Area between hills**
– Blue: **Share a first name**
– Purple: **Colored anagrams**
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### Today’s Connections categories
If you require some additional guidance, here are the actual categories for today’s puzzle:
– Yellow: **Shade**
– Green: **Vale**
– Blue: **Bobs**
– Purple: **Color anagrams**
Still wish to solve it independently? Now’s your final opportunity before we disclose the answers!
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### Today’s Connections answers
Here’s the solution for Connections puzzle #685:
– **Shade**: COLOR, HUE, TONE, TINT
– **Vale**: DALE, DELL, GLEN, HOLLOW
– **Bobs**: DOLE, HOPE, MARLEY, ROSS
– **Color anagrams**: DRE, GARY, GENRE, LUBE
If today’s puzzle got the better of you, don’t be disheartened — a new Connections puzzle will arrive tomorrow, and we’ll return with more hints and solutions to aid you.
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In search of additional puzzles? Visit Mashable’s Games Hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crosswords, and more!
And if you’re engaging with NYT’s Strands, we’ve got today’s hints and answers for that as well.
Did you miss yesterday’s Connections? You can locate the previous puzzle’s solution [here](https://mashable.com/article/nyt-connections-sports-edition-hint-answer-today-april-26).
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