NYT Connections Answers Today (May 29): From Donuts To Salutes, Here’s What Links The Puzzle Words
Connections, one of NYT's most popular offerings after Wordle, asks players to sort 16 seemingly unrelated words into four connected categories.
NYT Connections Answers: Think you’ve cracked the code for Connections #717 on Thursday, May 29? If not, don’t worry — you’re not alone. The daily New York Times puzzle is designed to test your lateral thinking, often hiding the obvious in plain sight. Today's game was a real brain-bender, packed with deceptive wordplay and more than a few red herrings.
So, if you’ve been scratching your head over words like “Muscular,” “Sprinkle,” or “Polish,” we’ve got you covered.
A Puzzle That Bites Back
The Connections game, one of NYT's most popular offerings after Wordle, asks players to sort 16 seemingly unrelated words into four connected categories. The goal? Spot the hidden links — whether thematic, linguistic, or conceptual — and group the words correctly. But there’s a catch: make four mistakes and the game ends abruptly, revealing the answers whether you're ready or not.
Today’s set included the following 16 words: Frost, Right, Muscular, Honor, Hail, Fit, Polish, Powder, Proper, Enthusiast, Nude, Applaud, Sprinkle, Praise, Apt, Glaze.
As always, the four colour-coded difficulty levels added an extra twist: Yellow (easiest), Green (easy), Blue (medium), and Purple (hardest).
Hints That Helped (But Also Misled)
To keep things spicy, NYT offered a few subtle clues for today’s edition.
- Yellow: “Think of a standing ovation.”
- Green: “Similar to 'qualified'.”
- Blue: “Needed to prepare a policeman’s favourite snack.”
- Purple: “One word, four different meanings.”
Additional nudges pointed out that ‘Buff’ and ‘Fit’ do not belong together, despite what the gym-goers among us might think. Another clue? Each group had one word that started with the letter “P.”
And The Winning Categories Were...
If you're here just for the final verdict, here are the four groups that cracked the puzzle:
- Yellow - Salute: Applaud, Hail, Honor, Praise
- Green - Suitable: Apt, Fit, Proper, Right
- Blue - Verbs For Finishing Donuts: Frost, Glaze, Powder, Sprinkle
- Purple - What “Buff” Might Mean: Enthusiast, Muscular, Nude, Polish
Yes, you read that right — “Buff” isn’t just about being jacked. In today’s puzzle, it flexed its full range of meanings: a fitness fanatic, a muscular physique, a nude colour, and even a polishing method.
Whether you breezed through it or needed a lifeline (or three), today’s Connections puzzle proves once again that words can be slippery creatures. Ready to take on tomorrow’s challenge? Better bring your thinking cap — and maybe a donut or two.
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