The New York Times’ daily Connections puzzle continues to be a popular choice for word game enthusiasts. On June 22, 2025, Puzzle #742 challenges players to work with 16 words, requiring them to group them into four sets based on shared meanings or patterns.
The words in this puzzle fall into distinct categories, offering a rich variety for solvers. One group includes terms associated with broadcasting and public communication, featuring words like Bulletin, Flash, Report, and Wire—strongly linked to media reporting and alerts. Another set reflects pivotal concepts from the American Declaration of Independence, emphasizing themes of rights and ideals. This group consists of Happiness, Liberty, Life, and Pursuit, highlighting the foundational beliefs of freedom and personal pursuit.
Additionally, the puzzle showcases popular HBO TV series titles, including Entourage, Euphoria, Insecure, and Succession, known for captivating audiences and achieving high ratings. The final category focuses on words applicable to the concept of “left,” covering meanings associated with direction, departure, and presence—these include Departed, Port, Progressive, and Remaining.
The format features a 4×4 grid of words, and players must identify four words that share thematic links. Each word group is color-coded to indicate difficulty levels: Yellow for simple groupings, Green for moderately challenging, Blue for complex associations, and Purple for the most abstract connections. Players are encouraged to start with the most straightforward connections and utilize the shuffle feature to explore different word combinations. Recognizing the overlap of meanings is key, particularly with categories that may lead to confusion, such as abstract concepts or common experiences.
As word puzzles like this one promote cognitive engagement and problem-solving skills, they can be seen not just as entertainment but also as a way to strengthen mental agility. Happy puzzling!