NYT Connections Today: Hints and answers for April 28, 2025

NYT Connections has quickly become one of The New York Times’ most popular daily puzzle games, second only to Wordle. If you’re trying to crack today’s puzzle, you’re in the right place. Read on for helpful hints and solutions—but scroll carefully to avoid early spoilers!

What is NYT Connections?

Connections is a daily word puzzle developed by The New York Times, offering players a fun and challenging way to expand their vocabulary. Designed by Associate Puzzle Editor Wyna Liu, the game was launched for PC users on June 12, 2023, during its beta phase.

In Connections, players are presented with a grid of 16 words. The challenge? Sort them into four groups of four based on hidden relationships. Categories can range from synonyms and themes to more playful or unexpected links.

With three difficulty levels—Easy, Medium, and Hard—the game appeals to casual players and word lovers alike. It has also gained tremendous popularity on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter), where players frequently share their daily wins and near-misses.

Hints for Today’s Puzzle – April 28, 2025

Yellow Category: Items used to style or hold hair in place.

Green Category: Words meaning simple, bare, or without decoration.

Blue Category: Types of evidence an investigator might collect at a crime scene.

Purple Category: Synonyms for feeling very tired.

Today's Categories and Answers

Yellow – HAIR PRODUCTS: Gel, Mousse, Spray, Wax

Green – AUSTERE: Bare, Plain, Simple, Spare

Blue – CLUES AT A CRIME SCENE: Fiber, Fingerprint, Hair, Tire Mark

Purple – WEARY: Bore, Drain, Exhaust, Tire

How to Play NYT Connections

Each day at midnight, a new Connections puzzle becomes available on The New York Times website and app. Players are challenged to organize 16 words into four groups of four by identifying their hidden connections.

The groups may relate to a wide variety of topics—such as commonly clicked items, scientific study participants, or even phrases that share a body part prefix. Only one correct solution exists for each puzzle, so be cautious: some words can seem to fit more than one group.

Here’s how it works:

Select four words you believe are connected and click "Submit."

If you're close but not quite correct, the game may hint that you’re one word away from forming a group.

Be careful—each wrong guess costs you a life, and you only get four chances before the game ends!

The groups are also color-coded by difficulty:

Yellow is usually the easiest,

Green and Blue are moderately challenging,

Purple is often the trickiest, featuring wordplay or less obvious links.