NYT Connections Hints for May 4, 2025: Full puzzle breakdown and answers

The NYT Connections word game has grown increasingly popular, offering a blend of logic, cultural knowledge, and wordplay that keeps players coming back for more. In Sunday’s edition (#693), the puzzle presented another engaging challenge, with four distinct categories that required players to think critically and creatively.

Hints for the May 4 Puzzle:

For those who needed some guidance, here’s a breakdown of the categories from the day’s puzzle, as reported by Parade magazine:

Describing Food Texture: Consider unpleasant characteristics, especially those often associated with poorly prepared meat.

Musical Jargon: These are terms a guitarist might casually use during a jam session.

Related Components: Four words that are combined to create a trendy drink.

Play on Letters: Familiar words with cryptic twists that become clearer after altering their first letters.

Puzzle Solutions Revealed:

If you're looking for the final answers, here’s the breakdown of Sunday’s NYT Connections:

Qualities of Overcooked Meat

Words: CHEWY, DRY, STRINGY, TOUGH

This set evokes the unpleasant textures of overdone meat—often a result of culinary mistakes.

Play Some Electric Guitar

Words: JAM, NOODLE, SHRED, SOLO

These are terms familiar to anyone who enjoys rock or blues guitar playing, each associated with various styles of playing or improvisation.

Ingredients in Bubble Tea

Words: BOBA, MILK, SUGAR, TEA

These are the core ingredients of bubble tea, a popular drink originating from Taiwan.

Planets/Dwarf Planets with First Letter Changed

Words: BLUTO, CARS, DARTH, GENUS

This category required a bit of wordplay, as these words are altered versions of the names of planets or dwarf planets: Pluto, Mars, Earth, and Venus.

A Game of Language and Lateral Thinking

The NYT Connections puzzle has captured the attention of puzzle enthusiasts for its ability to test both linguistic skills and lateral thinking. Sunday’s edition (#693) challenged players to connect words through subtle thematic clues, pushing them to think creatively.

For those who struggled or needed more time, the game serves as a reminder of how language and wordplay can be both challenging and fun. Whether solved quickly or after some reflection, the puzzle is a testament to the power of language and patterns. As the game continues to evolve, it proves that the best puzzles are those that require more than just logic—they also demand intuition and creativity.