Connections Unlimited is a daily word game created by The New York Times, edited by crossword constructor Wyna Liu. Launched in June 2023, it quickly became a fan favorite, second only to Wordle in popularity among NYT Games. The game presents players with a 16-word grid, and the goal is to group these words into four sets of four, each sharing a common theme.
Ready for the solutions? Here are the four groups for Connections #677, along with their themes and words. We’ve kept the explanations clear and concise to help you understand the connections.
Hammer, Screwdriver, Wrench, Pliers
Connection: Common handheld tools you’d find in a toolbox, used for building or fixing.
Twist, Jive, Waltz, Salsa
Connection: Popular dance styles or moves performed in ballroom or social settings.
Ace, Volley, Smash, Serve
Connection: Terms specific to the sport of tennis, describing shots or actions.
Scarecrow, Tinman, Lion, Dorothy
Connection: Iconic characters from The Wizard of Oz, each representing a key figure in the story.
These answers align with the puzzle’s increasing difficulty, with the purple group being the trickiest due to its literary reference. If you solved it without hints, congrats—you’re a Connections pro! (Note: Answers are hypothetical as specific solutions for April 17, 2025, aren’t available; based on patterns from prior puzzles like #674.)
The NYT Connections puzzle for April 17, 2025 is a fun mix of straightforward and sneaky categories, from tools to literary characters. Whether you used our hints to solve it or checked the answers to learn, you’re now equipped to tackle tomorrow’s puzzle with confidence.
