On Monday, June 16, 2025, the New York Times released its daily Connections puzzle #736, challenging players to group sixteen seemingly unrelated words into four distinct categories. Connections, a popular daily word game launched by the Times in June 2023, has captivated puzzle enthusiasts by tasking them to find common threads among words, often requiring sharp insight and a bit of lateral thinking.
The game presents 16 words each day, and players must sort them into four groups of four words each, based on shared themes. Players have up to four mistakes before the game ends, making accuracy as vital as intuition. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow for the easiest, green and blue for intermediate, and purple for the most challenging sets, which often involve clever wordplay.
For June 16, 2025, the words to be grouped were: Shipshape, Inanimate, Carbon, Rod, Glass, Wooden, Bracket, Garnish, Busboy, Trainee, Flat, Straw, Blank, Hook, Coaster, and Curtain. At first glance, these words might seem an odd assortment, but the puzzle’s beauty lies in uncovering their hidden connections.
Hints provided for the day’s puzzle aided players in navigating the challenge. The yellow group’s hint was “where’s the emotion?” suggesting a theme around a lack of expression. The green group pointed to “important items to help protect your home from prying eyes,” a nod to window-related objects. Blue’s hint referenced items that “certain evening establishments might become quite messy without,” subtly alluding to drink accompaniments. The purple group’s hint was more cryptic, involving “metropolis and cartography,” encouraging players to think about modes of transportation or travel.
Breaking down the puzzle, the yellow group was themed around the concept of being expressionless or emotionless. The four words fitting this category were BLANK, FLAT, INANIMATE, and WOODEN. Each of these words conveys a sense of lifelessness or lack of feeling, making them perfect companions. As one puzzle enthusiast noted, “Inanimate can match with a lot of things but flat and blank struck me as somewhat similar, so I had to work from there.”
The green group centered on drapery hanging items—objects essential for window treatments and privacy. These included BRACKET, CURTAIN, HOOK, and ROD. The hint about protecting one’s home from prying eyes cleverly pointed players toward these household staples. This group was straightforward for many, as these items are commonly associated with curtains and window decor.
Next, the blue group highlighted items associated with beverages, specifically what a drink is served with. The words COASTER, GARNISH, GLASS, and STRAW formed this set. This category conjures images of cocktail bars and social evenings, where drinks are carefully presented with garnishes and served in glasses resting on coasters, complete with straws. The hint about “certain evening establishments might become quite messy without these” was a subtle nod to the importance of these items in drink service.
The purple group proved the most challenging and involved words starting with methods of transportation or related to travel. This set included BUSBOY, CARBON, SHIPSHAPE, and TRAINEE. At first, these words seem disconnected, but a closer look reveals the connection lies in the first parts of the words: “bus,” “car,” “ship,” and “train.” This clever wordplay exemplifies the purple group’s reputation for being the toughest. One player shared, “For once, the purples were clear as day right out of the gate. SHIPSHAPE and BUSBOY didn’t make sense with anything else, and it only took me a moment to find the other two words.”
Connections has grown in popularity since its introduction, rivaling the fame of the Times’ other hit, Wordle. Players appreciate the daily mental workout and the social aspect of sharing results. The game’s design allows for play on both web browsers and mobile devices, making it accessible to a broad audience.
Each day’s puzzle resets at midnight local time, offering fresh challenges. The Times also provides a Connections archive for subscribers, where past puzzles can be revisited, giving players the chance to practice or catch up on missed games.
For those struggling with today’s puzzle, hints and spoilers are readily available. For June 16, the clues helped guide players toward the four categories: expressionless words, drapery items, drink accompaniments, and words starting with transportation methods. This balance of challenge and assistance keeps the game engaging without being discouraging.
Players often find that identifying one or two groups first makes the rest fall into place. For example, spotting “garnish” immediately hints at drink-related words, while “curtain” and “hook” point to window treatments. The purple group’s clever wordplay requires a sharper eye, rewarding players who notice the embedded transportation terms.
As one commentator put it, “Such connections always become a lot easier once I rule out one or two other themes.” This strategy is common among seasoned players who methodically eliminate possibilities to zero in on correct groupings.
The daily challenge also fosters a vibrant community. Players gather on platforms like Discord to discuss strategies, share hints, and celebrate wins. The social aspect adds an enjoyable dimension beyond the puzzle itself.
For those who missed the June 15 puzzle or want to revisit it, answers and hints are also available, ensuring no one falls behind. The New York Times Games section continues to support its puzzle fans with a variety of engaging word games, including Connections, Wordle, and Strands.
In the end, June 16’s Connections puzzle offered a satisfying blend of straightforward and tricky categories, testing players’ vocabulary and lateral thinking skills. Whether grouping words like BLANK and WOODEN or decoding the transportation-themed purple set, players had to think creatively and carefully.
With a new Connections puzzle arriving daily, the challenge—and fun—never stops. For puzzle lovers seeking a fresh mental workout, the New York Times Connections game remains a compelling choice, blending clever wordplay with accessible gameplay that invites everyone to connect the dots.
