NYT Connections Answer: The New York Times' increasingly popular word game, Connections, is once again stumping and delighting players across the globe. With its clever groupings and deceptive word choices, the May 19 edition proved to be a brain teaser that had fans scratching their heads. Whether you love a mental workout or need a nudge in the right direction, we’ve broken down today’s puzzle with category hints, themes, and the full solution.
What’s the Buzz Around Connections?
If you’ve been on social media lately, chances are you’ve seen someone sharing their Connections score. The game has soared in popularity, joining Wordle as a daily ritual for word puzzle enthusiasts. Developed with help from associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, Connections invites players to find common themes among four-word groupings from a pool of 16.
The catch? Many words could seemingly belong to more than one category, but only one correct grouping exists. Players are allowed four mistakes before the game ends, and the difficulty of the groupings ranges from easiest (yellow) to most challenging (purple).
Adding to the fun is the option to shuffle the board to gain a new perspective — and of course, bragging rights when you finally crack the puzzle.
Hint Time: How the Categories Played Out
Before jumping into the actual answers, the game offered a few teasing clues to help players steer in the right direction:
- Yellow: Charity sale
- Green: Seen on a popular board game
- Blue: Found on a large sea animal
- Purple: Body parts
These were the bread crumbs that helped many puzzle solvers inch closer to victory.
Full Reveal: Today’s Connections Answers
Still stumped? Here's how the words are grouped together in today’s edition of Connections #708:
- Fundraising event: BALL, BENEFIT, FUNCTION, GALA
- Spaces on a Monopoly board: AVENUE, CHANCE, RAILROAD, UTILITY
- Features of a toothed whale: BLUBBER, FLIPPER, FLUKE, MELON
- Homophones for parts of the foot: BAWL, HEAL, SOUL, TOW
As you can see, the wordplay was both clever and sneaky, especially the purple group, which relied on sound-alike words that mimic foot-related terms.
Don’t Sweat It If You Missed Today’s Set
If today’s puzzle left you baffled, you’re not alone. The word combinations, especially the whale features and homophone categories, were particularly tricky. But as always, there’s no need to feel disheartened.
So, whether you solved it on your first try or burned through all four guesses, rest assured — another round of linguistic gymnastics awaits you after midnight.