New York Times Connections Hints and Answers for #686 April…

The daily Connections puzzle presents another set of sixteen words to categorize into four hidden groups. With only three mistakes allowed, the challenge lies in identifying the subtle connections between words before guesses run out.

When the categories prove difficult to uncover on your own in this challenging puzzle game, this guide can offer all the assistance you need. Here, you will find everything from small hints to big spoilers, and you can even find the full answer to the puzzle if you wish to see it.

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How to Play New York Times Connections

There is a new daily word game going viral called Connections from the New York Times Games, and some will need to learn how to play.

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By Mina Smith

Words in the NYT Connections Puzzle #686 for April 27, 2025

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The Connections puzzle for today contains the words: Massage, Times, Ruffle, Fish, Percent, Shock, Meatball, Goldfish, Combo, Lock, Equals, Thatch, Chef, Minus, Tuft, and Taki.

What is the Definition of Taki?

Takis are a brand of snack food, but it is also a card game popular in Israel.

Hints for the NYT Connections Puzzle

Want some hints that won't spoil the whole answer to this popular puzzle game? You can find a ton of tips, hints, and more for this puzzle game in the sections below.

Some General Hints for the Whole Connections Puzzle

Here are some hints:

1. None of these groups is about bothering someone else.

2. Fish and Goldfish do not go in the same group.

3. Massage and Meatball go in the same category.

Here are some hints for the yellow/straightforward answer in this minimalist puzzle game: Calculating...

The category for the yellow/straightforward Connections is Calculator Buttons.

The answer to the yellow/straightforward Connections is Calculator Buttons.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Equals, Minus, Percent, Times.

Here are some hints for the green/medium difficulty answer: Tresses, curls, and braids.

The category for the green/medium difficulty Connections is Amounts of Hair.

The answer to the green/medium difficulty Connections is Amounts of Hair.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Lock, Shock, Thatch, Tuft.

Here are some hints for the blue/difficult answer: Other words that could go in this category: A pringle, a pretzel, a Cheeto.

The category for the blue/difficult Connections is Salty Snack Unit.

The answer to the blue/difficult Connections is Salty Snack Unit.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Combo, Goldfish, Ruffle, Taki.

Here are some hints for the purple/tricky answer in this puzzle game: Each of these words can follow the same location word to make four commonly-themed phrases.

The category for the purple/tricky difficulty in Connections is Swedish _____.

The answer to the purple/tricky difficulty in Connections is Swedish _____.

The four words for this group in the puzzle are: Chef, Fish, Massage, Meatball.

Answers for Today's NYT Connections #686 for April 27, 2025

If you just want the full answer to this relaxing puzzle game, you can find it below. In the next section, you will find all the words sorted into the correct categories, along with the themes of each.

Yellow - Calculator Buttons: Equals, Minus, Percent, Times
Green - Amounts of Hair: Lock, Shock, Thatch, Tuft
Blue - Salty Snack Unit: Combo, Goldfish, Ruffle, Taki
Purple - Swedish _____: Chef, Fish, Massage, Meatball