NYT Connections hints May 18: Puzzle #707 challenges players with clever wordplay | Answers and complete guide

The New York Times’ increasingly popular brain teaser, Connections, offered a fresh set of word associations in its Sunday edition on May 18, 2025. Puzzle number 707 challenged players with subtle logic twists, layered themes, and language-based riddles, further cementing its standing as a daily favorite among NYT Games enthusiasts.

While many attempted to solve the game independently, several turned to helpful hints as they grappled with the day’s most elusive links.

Below is a breakdown of the NYT Connections hints for May 18 for those looking to test their thinking without completely giving up.

What Is NYT Connections and How It Works

Connections, second only to the classic NYT Crossword in popularity, invites players to identify four groups of four related words from a list of sixteen.

The connections can be thematic, contextual, or based on wordplay mechanics—making the game both engaging and increasingly complex as players progress.

Players must identify which four words go together in each of the following categories, ranging in difficulty from easiest (yellow) to most challenging (purple).

NYT Connections Hints May 18 — The Four Thematic Clues

For puzzle #707, Sunday’s edition presented players with categories that were cleverly disguised.

For those in need of guidance without spoiling the entire puzzle, here are today’s hints, as mentioned in a report by Forbes:

• Yellow Group: Think of academic or athletic preparation—activities common to students or trainees.
• Blue Group: These are phrases that might be offered as encouragement during a guessing game—responses that suggest proximity to the correct answer.
• Green Group: This category includes descriptors of someone who is open to suggestions or spontaneous plans—essentially, flexible personalities.
• Purple Group: If the letter “A” had multiple interpretations in different contexts, what might it symbolize? Consider meanings drawn from school grading, sports, and more.

Detailed Clues to Narrow the Field

Here are more descriptive prompts to steer players toward the correct associations, as per the Forbes report:

1. A backpack, a classroom, and an eagerness to learn—these words relate to the routine of a student.
2. You’re guessing a password or a surprise location and someone says one of these—you know you’re close.
3. Someone invites you to an impromptu event. If you say one of these, you’re ready to go.
4. Consider the meanings of the letter “A” across different fields—from grading scales to categories.

NYT Connections Answers for May 18, 2025

For players ready to compare notes or who’ve decided to peek, the final answers for today’s puzzle were revealed as follows:

• Yellow Group – Tasks for a Student: Assignment, Drill, Exercise, Lesson
• Blue Group – Encouraging Responses in a Guessing Game: Almost, Close, Not Quite, Warm
• Green Group – Up for Anything: Easy, Flexible, Game, Open
  
• Purple Group – What “A” Might Mean: Area, Athletic, Excellent, One
  

Each group required a balance of lateral thinking and contextual knowledge, traits that continue to define Connections as a standout puzzle in the NYT’s expanding games portfolio.

FAQs

How do Connections work in the NYT?

Connections is a word puzzle game that challenges players to identify common themes among words. Given a set of 16 words, players must group them into four sets of four words each, with each group sharing a unifying concept or category.

Do I have to pay for the Connections NYT?

Connections is a free and widely played daily word game from The New York Times, offering a fresh puzzle every day at midnight.