Tim Mulkerin, a freelance writer and digital media professional, continues to engage puzzle enthusiasts with daily hints and solutions for the New York Times Connections game. For Thursday, June 26, 2025, he provides valuable insights into the puzzle, offering clever clues and thematic breakdowns for players striving to identify groupings among the game’s 16 words.
In today’s Connections puzzle (#746), players are invited to explore four categories that hold unique connections. The yellow category, deemed straightforward, comprises “Components of a Salad,” featuring words like cheese, dressing, lettuce, and protein. The green category, labeled “Kinds of Machines,” includes enigma, pinball, sewing, and vending. Legal dramas fill the blue category, which showcases damages, Goliath, Matlock, and suits. Finally, the purple category, noted as the trickiest, brings together words ending with playing card names: Bojack, Hawking, Lovelace, and McQueen.
Mulkerin emphasizes the importance of strategic thinking, particularly the need to consider overlapping groups within the word selections. He provides anecdotal advice from his own solving experience, highlighting the challenge of connecting seemingly unrelated words to their respective themes. His daily hints, designed to aid participants who may feel stuck, reflect a key aspect of the game: the thrill of discovery and the satisfaction that comes from solving complex puzzles.
Overall, this daily engagement not only encourages critical thinking and problem-solving but also serves as a positive reminder of the community surrounding word games. Those who take on the challenge are rewarded with a sense of accomplishment as they unravel the mysteries of the Connections puzzle. Keep an eye out for tomorrow’s hints to continue honing your skills!