MEDIUMPuzzle #718

NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#718) – Today's Puzzle, May 29

TODAY'S NYT CONNECTIONS TIP

“Start by identifying SALUTE (APPLAUD, HAIL...) to narrow down the remaining 16-word grid!”

Written by Naveed Ahmed · Updated: May 29, 2025

← Yesterday's Connections Hint (#717, May 28)

Connections Hint for Each Word Today

Tap any word to see its Connections hint — what it means in today's puzzle, no spoilers.

APPLAUD hint: In the context of salute, "APPLAUD" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HAIL hint: In the context of salute, "HAIL" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HONOR hint: In the context of salute, "HONOR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PRAISE hint: In the context of salute, "PRAISE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

APT hint: In the context of suitable, "APT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FIT hint: In the context of suitable, "FIT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PROPER hint: In the context of suitable, "PROPER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

RIGHT hint: In the context of suitable, "RIGHT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FROST hint: In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "FROST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

GLAZE hint: In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "GLAZE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

POWDER hint: In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "POWDER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SPRINKLE hint: In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "SPRINKLE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

ENTHUSIAST hint: In the context of what “buff” might mean, "ENTHUSIAST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MUSCULAR hint: In the context of what “buff” might mean, "MUSCULAR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NUDE hint: In the context of what “buff” might mean, "NUDE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

POLISH hint: In the context of what “buff” might mean, "POLISH" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

Hints uncovered0 / 16

Today's NYT Connections Hints for All Four Categories

Reveal progressively: see the category hint first, then the group name, then individual words — stop whenever you have enough.

🟡 Straightforward

🟢 Medium

🔵 Hard

🟣 Tricky

⚠️Traps & Misdirects Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle

Today’s Connections puzzle includes words intentionally placed to misdirect you into wrong groups. These traps and misdirects hints reveal which words are designed to mislead, so you don’t burn your 4 allowed mistakes on deliberate decoys.

APT, FIT, PROPER, RIGHT

In today's medium category (SUITABLE), pay close attention to subtle shifts in meaning. Words like APT, FIT, PROPER, RIGHT may appear to belong to other everyday contexts, but their true connection lies in their shared relationship to SUITABLE.

ENTHUSIAST, MUSCULAR, NUDE, POLISH

The trickiest grouping today is "WHAT “BUFF” MIGHT MEAN". Words such as ENTHUSIAST, MUSCULAR, NUDE, POLISH are designed as intentional misdirects. Look past their obvious surface meanings for hidden wordplay or secondary definitions.

FROST, GLAZE, POWDER, SPRINKLE

Be careful with overlap between FROST, GLAZE, POWDER, SPRINKLE and other categories on the board. The editor often places decoy pairings in "VERBS FOR FINISHING DONUTS" to trap unsuspecting players into using up their 4 allowed mistakes.

Today's NYT Connections Answers

Click to reveal the complete solution — all four categories.

Category: SALUTE (Straightforward) — Answers: APPLAUD, HAIL, HONOR, PRAISE

Category: SUITABLE (Medium) — Answers: APT, FIT, PROPER, RIGHT

Category: VERBS FOR FINISHING DONUTS (Hard) — Answers: FROST, GLAZE, POWDER, SPRINKLE

Category: WHAT “BUFF” MIGHT MEAN (Tricky) — Answers: ENTHUSIAST, MUSCULAR, NUDE, POLISH

Today's NYT Connections Answers Explained

SALUTE

The words APPLAUD, HAIL, HONOR, PRAISE all share a unique thematic connection as salute.

APPLAUD

In the context of salute, "APPLAUD" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HAIL

In the context of salute, "HAIL" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

HONOR

In the context of salute, "HONOR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PRAISE

In the context of salute, "PRAISE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SUITABLE

The words APT, FIT, PROPER, RIGHT all share a unique thematic connection as suitable.

APT

In the context of suitable, "APT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

FIT

In the context of suitable, "FIT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

PROPER

In the context of suitable, "PROPER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

RIGHT

In the context of suitable, "RIGHT" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

VERBS FOR FINISHING DONUTS

The words FROST, GLAZE, POWDER, SPRINKLE all share a unique thematic connection as verbs for finishing donuts.

FROST

In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "FROST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

GLAZE

In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "GLAZE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

POWDER

In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "POWDER" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

SPRINKLE

In the context of verbs for finishing donuts, "SPRINKLE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

WHAT “BUFF” MIGHT MEAN

The words ENTHUSIAST, MUSCULAR, NUDE, POLISH all share a unique thematic connection as what “buff” might mean.

ENTHUSIAST

In the context of what “buff” might mean, "ENTHUSIAST" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

MUSCULAR

In the context of what “buff” might mean, "MUSCULAR" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

NUDE

In the context of what “buff” might mean, "NUDE" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

POLISH

In the context of what “buff” might mean, "POLISH" stands out as a clear, defining example within this group.

What Makes Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Tricky?

APT, FIT, PROPER, RIGHT sit alongside FROST, GLAZE, POWDER, SPRINKLE and phrases like ENTHUSIAST, MUSCULAR, NUDE, POLISH — a collision of distinct word groups and subtle misdirects.

The editor's sharpest trick is hiding a word-within-a-word: some of the multi-word phrases are not grouped by their topic but by what their first word secretly means.

How to Use Connections Hints

Everyone playing NYT Connections puzzle gets stuck at a different point. Some players can’t figure out a single word. Others have three groups solved and can’t find the fourth. Where you are stuck determines which connection hint you need.

A word in the puzzle has an unfamiliar meaning

Some words in today’s NYT Connections puzzle are uncommon. Connections editor Wyna Liu often uses words with specific or less familiar meanings, particularly in the green, blue, and purple categories. If you don’t know what a word means, you cannot reliably place it in a group.

Recommendation: Use the Word Hint. It tells you what the word means in the context of today’s puzzle. Tap any word directly on the board above to see its hint.

No groups are forming after reading all sixteen words

The connection between words is often not obvious from their meanings alone — categories are built around themes that require a specific angle to see. These category-level clues are the most useful hints.

Recommendation: Use the Category Hint. It points you toward the theme of a category without revealing the category name or which words belong to it. Tap “Yellow Category Hint” first.

You have a possible group but aren’t ready to guess

You think four words belong together but you’re not confident enough to guess. If you’re unsure, don’t guess yet — a wrong guess costs you one of your four mistakes.

Recommendation: Use the Category Name. It reveals the exact name of the category without showing you which words belong to it.

One word seems to fit more than one group

You have built a group of four words but one word in it could also fit somewhere else. NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu deliberately places misleading words on the board.

Recommendation: Use the Traps and Misdirects Hints. It identifies the specific misleading words in today’s puzzle and explains why they don’t belong where you think they do.

You know the category but can’t find all four words

You have identified the theme of a category but can’t find all four words that belong to it.

Recommendation: Use the Word Reveal. It uncovers one masked word at a time without revealing the full group. This is the most precise connection hint available.

One mistake left with two groups unsolved

You have one mistake remaining and two groups unsolved. If you guess wrong here, the game ends and NYT reveals all the answers automatically.

Recommendation: Do not guess yet. Use the Category Name for both remaining groups first. If that is still not enough, tap “Category Words” and reveal one word at a time.

You want today’s answers without solving the puzzle

Use the Answers section. It shows all four category names and the four words that belong to each one.

Recommendation: Go to the Answers section.

The puzzle is over but a category still doesn’t make sense

You can see the four groups and their words but the connection between them isn’t clear.

Recommendation: Use the Answer Explanation. It tells you exactly what connects the words in each category and why each individual word belongs there.

Browse Past Puzzles

View answers and hints for every previous NYT Connections puzzle.

Puzzle Archive →

Frequently Asked Questions

NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle by The New York Times where you group 16 words into 4 categories of 4 words each. Each category has a hidden theme color-coded by difficulty.

Yellow is the most straightforward category, Green is medium difficulty, Blue is harder, and Purple contains the trickiest, most misleading groupings.

Yes, NYT Connections is free to play once per day on the New York Times Games website.

A new NYT Connections puzzle releases every day at midnight in your local time zone (12:00 AM ET for US Eastern Time).

Naveed Ahmed

@NaveedAhmedDev•@naveedcolab

Lead Writer & Connections Puzzle Analyst

Naveed is a dedicated puzzle strategist and word game analyst who breaks down daily NYT Connections categories, uncovers tricky wordplay patterns, and delivers progressive, spoiler-free clues to help thousands of players solve every puzzle.