Connections Hint NYT, Hints and Answers for Today 12 May 2025

NYT Connections Hints Today

Connections is one of the most popular word games from The New York Times—and it’s easy to see why. Just like Wordle, it resets every day at midnight with a brand-new challenge. The goal? Find the hidden connection between groups of words. Sounds simple, but it gets trickier every day.

If you’re stuck, you’re not alone. That’s why we’ve put together some helpful Connections hints to guide you. Whether you’re a beginner or trying to keep your streak going, these clues and tips will help you figure it out—without giving everything away.

What Is Connections?

Connections is a daily word game from The New York Times that challenges players to group 16 words into four sets of related terms. Each group shares a common theme—like book titles, countries, or tech brands—but there’s only one correct solution.

Created with input from puzzle editor Wyna Liu, the game has become a viral hit and is available on both web and mobile. You get up to four mistakes, and each group is color-coded by difficulty: yellow (easy), green, blue, and purple (hardest). Like Wordle, you can share your results with friends.

NYT Connections Hints For May 12, 2025

Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of today’s Connections groups, I’ll reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them.

Today’s 16 words are…

  • VISIT
  • BANK
  • WALLET
  • HIT
  • SMACK
  • ATM
  • CASH REGISTER
  • BOUNCE
  • CLICK
  • TIP JAR
  • PURSE
  • CAROM
  • CURL
  • PAGE VIEW
  • RICOCHET
  • PUCKER

And the hints for today’s Connections groups are:

  • Yellow group — the side of a couch and your back pocket would fit in here
  • Green group — find a new romantic partner soon after a break up, perhaps
  • Blue group — you’ll see these in the one type of situation where it’s okay to play with traffic
  • Purple group — in the interest of keeping things clean, let’s gloss over some of the other options that would work here
What Are Today’s Connections Groups – May 12, 2025

Need some extra help?

Be warned: we’re starting to get into spoiler territory.

Today’s Connections groups are…

  • Yellow group — places to find paper money
  • Green group — rebound
  • Blue group — things tracked by web analytics
  • Purple group — things you can do with your lips
What Are Today’s Connections Answers – May 12, 2025

Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Connections answers.

This is your final warning!

Today’s Connections answers are…

  • Yellow group — places to find paper money (ATM, CASH REGISTER, TIP JAR, WALLET)
  • Green group — rebound (BANK, BOUNCE, CAROM, RICOCHET)
  • Blue group — things tracked by web analytics (CLICK, HIT, PAGE VIEW, VISIT)
  • Purple group — things you can do with your lips (CURL, PUCKER, PURSE, SMACK)

I was very close to back-to-back reverse rainbows but I got the yellow and green order wrong. Rats! Nevertheless, my streak is up to 76 wins. Here’s how I fared:

🟪🟪🟪🟪
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩

I didn’t have a clue what CAROM meant, so I left that well enough alone at the outset. PUCKER spoke to me first, as that’s something you can do with your lips. I found the other three words pretty quickly for the purples.

How to Play Connections

Connections is a free, popular daily word game from The New York Times, with a fresh puzzle dropping at midnight every day. You can play it on the NYT website or through the Games app.

Here’s the challenge: You’re given a grid of 16 words, and your goal is to sort them into four groups of four based on shared connections. The groups could be linked by things like:

  • Items you can click

  • Names for research study participants

  • Words that can be preceded by a body part

There’s only one correct solution for each puzzle, so be careful with words that might fit into more than one group. If you’re stuck, you can shuffle the words to help spot connections.

How the Groups Work:

  • Yellow Group: Usually the easiest to figure out

  • Blue & Green Groups: Medium difficulty

  • Purple Group: Often the trickiest, with lots of wordplay involved

Making Guesses:

  • Select four words you think belong together and hit Submit.

  • If your guess is wrong, you’ll lose a life.

  • If you’re close, you might get a message saying you’re “one word away” from the correct group, but you’ll still need to figure out the swap.

  • Make four incorrect guesses, and it’s game over.

But don’t worry—I’ve got hints to help you out. And if you’re really stuck, you can always check today’s answers.

Just like Wordle and other similar games, Connections makes it easy to share your results with friends on social media or in group chats.

Bonus Tip:

If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can explore the Connections archive to play previous puzzles you may have missed.

Need help with an old puzzle? Just Google the date of the game along with “Connections hints” or “Connections answers,” and you’ll find my hints for almost every game after the first 60 or so!

Connections hint Forbes

Forbes emphasizes authentic networking by advising professionals to build genuine relationships rather than accumulating contacts. Key strategies include offering value before seeking favors, engaging in meaningful conversations, and maintaining consistent follow-up. Utilizing platforms like LinkedIn, attending industry events, and nurturing connections over time are also recommended to foster long-term professional growth. Connections hint Forbes

Connections hint Today Mashable

​Mashable’s “Connections Hint Today” feature provides daily insights into building meaningful digital relationships. It emphasizes authenticity, encourages active engagement, and highlights the importance of leveraging digital platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter. By offering practical advice, Mashable helps individuals enhance their online presence and build a robust network that supports personal and professional growth. ​

Wordle hint

Today’s Wordle features a five-letter word that starts with “S” and ends with “D.” It contains two of the five vowels and has no repeated letters. A subtle hint: “Good and plenty.” The answer is “SQUAD.”

Strands hint

Stuck on today’s NYT Strands Hint puzzle? Here’s a helpful hint: the spangram is vertical, so keep your eyes peeled for a word running top to bottom. If you’re still having trouble finishing the grid, don’t worry — we’ve got an extra clue and today’s full list of answers to help you wrap it up. Whether you’re aiming to solve it solo or just need a little nudge, everything you need is right here.

FAQ for Connections Hints

Q1. What Are the Four Categories in Connections?

In each Connections puzzle, the 16 words are divided into four hidden categories, each assigned a color to show its difficulty:

  • 🟡 Yellow – Easiest

  • 🟢 Green – Medium

  • 🔵 Blue – Hard

  • 🟣 Purple – Most difficult

Q2. Can I Play Old Connections Games?

Yes! With a New York Times All Access or Games subscription, you can now access the full Connections archive. This feature lets you play past puzzles dating all the way back to June 12, 2023.

Q3. What Is the Connections Game?

Connections is a daily word game that challenges you to group 16 words into four sets of four, based on shared themes or categories. Unlike a crossword, there are no clues—just words. You’ll need to use pattern recognition, language skills, and creativity to find the correct groups.

Q4. What Are Examples of Connections?

In Connections, players group 16 words into 4 sets based on shared themes. For example:

  • Fish: Bass, Flounder, Salmon, Trout

  • Colors: Red, Blue, Green, Yellow

  • Sports: Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Baseball

  • Fruits: Apple, Banana, Grape, Cherry

More New York Times Games