Struggling to make sense of the grid for April 6? You aren’t alone. Whether you are playing the daily challenge or diving into the archives to solve Puzzle #665 (April 6, 2025), this specific grid features some deceptive red herrings in the “Utilities” and “Electrical” categories that have tripped up thousands of solvers.
If you are looking for the solution to the April 6, 2024 (Puzzle #300) game, we have included a special section for that below as well.
Here is your comprehensive guide to solving the NYT Connections for April 6, starting with gentle nudges and moving toward the full reveal.
Table of Contents
Hints for NYT Connections (April 6, 2025 – Puzzle #665)
If you want to keep your streak alive but just need a nudge in the right direction, try these theme-based hints for the four color-coded categories.
Yellow Group Hint
Theme: Emotional Distance Clue: Think of words used to describe someone who isn’t very warm, friendly, or open. They might seem “above it all” or just introverted.
Green Group Hint
Theme: Monthly Bills Clue: These are essential services you likely pay for every month to keep your house running. Think infrastructure.
Blue Group Hint
Theme: Physics Lab Values Clue: Words related to electricity and what a specific tool (an electrometer) might read. Beware of the red herrings related to “Cable” here!
Purple Group Hint
Theme: Fill-in-the-Blank Phrase Clue: Each of these words can precede the word “JOINT.” One is a famous director, one is a carpentry term, and one is a favorite food.
NYT Connections Answers April 6 (Puzzle #665)
If you are down to your last life or just want to confirm your suspicions, here are the full groups for the April 6, 2025 puzzle.
Yellow: Aloof
- Words: COOL, DISTANT, REMOTE, RESERVED
- Analysis: This was a straightforward synonym map, though “Remote” can sometimes trick players into thinking of technology or locations.
Green: Utilities
- Words: CABLE, GAS, TRASH, WATER
- Analysis: “Cable” was the tricky word here, as it often masquerades as a technology term (Blue category) rather than a household utility.
Blue: What an Electrometer Measures
- Words: CHARGE, CURRENT, RESISTANCE, VOLTAGE
- Analysis: This category required specific scientific knowledge. The presence of “Cable” in the grid (Green group) was a deliberate red herring intended to lure you into a generic “Electronics” grouping.
Purple: ___ Joint
- Words: DOVETAIL, HIP, PIZZA, SPIKE LEE
- Analysis: “Spike Lee Joint” is a classic pop-culture reference that often stumps players who aren’t familiar with the director’s specific branding. “Dovetail” is a niche carpentry term, making this a classic high-difficulty Purple tier.
Looking for April 6, 2024? (Puzzle #300)
Many players use the archive to play the “anniversary” puzzles. If you are solving the grid from April 6, 2024, the answers are entirely different.
April 6, 2024 (Puzzle #300) Breakdown:
- Yellow (Intrinsic Motivators): DESIRE, DRIVE, RESOLVE, WILL
- Green (Summer Gear): HAT, SHORTS, SUNGLASSES, TEE
- Tricky Moment: “SHORTS” and “TEE” often look like letters or other wordplay.
- Blue (Collection): ARRAY, BATTERY, SET, SERIES
- Tricky Moment: “BATTERY” here refers to a group of things (a battery of tests), not the power source.
- Purple (Horse___): FLY, POWER, RADISH, SHOE
- Tricky Moment: This “Word Before” category was brutal because “SHOE” and “POWER” could easily fit into the Green or Blue categories above.
Puzzle Analysis: Why April 6 Was Tricky
Whether it was 2024 or 2025, the April 6 puzzles share a common trait: Polysemy (Multiple Meanings).
The “Cable” Trap (2025)
In Puzzle #665, the editor Wyna Liu used “Cable” to bridge the gap between Utilities and Electricity. Most brains instinctively group “Cable” with “Current” or “Voltage.” To solve this, you had to realize that “Cable” is a service you pay for, whereas “Voltage” is a property of physics.
The “Battery” Deception (2024)
In Puzzle #300, “Battery” was used in its collective noun sense (e.g., “a battery of lawyers”). This is a favorite technique of the NYT Games team: taking a common object and using its secondary, abstract definition to hide it in plain sight.
3 Pro Strategies for Hard Connections Days
If you find yourself stuck on grids like April 6 frequently, try applying these three advanced solving techniques:
1. The “One Away” Shuffle
When the game tells you you are “One Away,” stop guessing immediately. The game is telling you that 3 of your words are a perfect match, but the 4th belongs to a different category.
- Strategy: Look at your group of 4. Which word has a secondary meaning? (e.g., Does “Remote” mean “Far away” or “TV Clicker”?). Isolate that word and try to find a replacement that fits the primary meaning of the other three.
2. Solve Purple First (The Reverse Method)
The Purple category is usually the “fill in the blank” or “wordplay” category.
- Strategy: Before grouping obvious synonyms (Yellow), scan the board for words that look random (like “Spike Lee” or “Dovetail”). Ask yourself: “Can I put a word in front or behind these?” Solving Purple first eliminates the weirdest words from the board, making the synonym groups much easier to spot.
3. Identify the “Pivot” Word
Every hard grid has one “Pivot Word” a word that fits perfectly into two categories.
- Example from April 6, 2025:CABLE.
- Fits: Utilities (Correct)
- Fits: Electronics (Trap)
- Strategy: If a word seems to fit two groups, leave it alone. Solve the other groups first. The Pivot Word will naturally fall into its correct place once the other options are eliminated.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the hardest Connections category color?
Purple is the hardest category. It usually relies on word association, fill-in-the-blanks, or trivia knowledge rather than direct synonyms. Yellow is the easiest, Green is medium, and Blue is hard (often niche knowledge).
Does the order of words in the grid matter?
No. The NYT deliberately randomizes the grid layout to separate related words. However, they will often place “Red Herrings” (trick words) right next to each other to fool your eye.
Can I play old NYT Connections puzzles?
Yes! While the NYT app only features today’s puzzle, several third-party archives and fan sites allow you to replay historical puzzles like #665 or #300 mentioned above.
What time does the new Connections puzzle drop?
The puzzle refreshes daily at midnight local time (based on your device’s clock). If you want to play tomorrow’s puzzle early, you can sometimes change your device’s time zone to New Zealand or Australia.
