Searching for the Connections solution for today, February 18, 2025? Continue reading for insightful clues, strategic tips, and the final answers for each of the four categories. Along the way, the meanings of some challenging words will be clarified as we explore how the pieces fit together. Warning: Spoilers for February 18, NYT Connections #618 are included below! Proceed if you’re ready for hints along with the complete solution to today’s puzzle.

To easily revisit these hints daily, bookmark this page. Historical hints are available here too, allowing you to see what you may have overlooked in previous games.

What follows are subtle suggestions for today’s Connections clues. Keep scrolling to find the themes and the complete solutions. Take your time and only grab the hints you find necessary!

Credit: Connections/NYT

Hints for Today’s Connections Themes

Here are some hints that avoid specific spoilers for the themes in today’s Connections:

• Yellow category – Something you might fall into.

• Green category – Simple to grab.

• Blue category – Satisfying until dinner.

• Purple category – Slang from overseas.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Today’s Connections Puzzle!

The answers are about to be revealed. Scroll carefully if you wish to avoid spoilers. (The complete solution can be found further down the page.)

Insights on Tricky Elements

HEARTY refers to a substantial meal, like a hearty beef stew.

FOOTY is colloquial for soccer in certain regions.

HOLE and PIT are synonymous, while the other two may be considered less conventional equivalents.

Today’s Connections Categories

• Yellow: CRATER

• Green: ACCESSIBLE

• Blue: SUBSTANTIAL, AS A MEAL

• Purple: BRITISHISMS

Double Warning: The Solutions Are Below

Are you ready to uncover the answers for today’s Connections puzzle? The solutions are provided below.

Yellow Words in Today’s Connections

The yellow category is typically the most straightforward. Today’s yellow theme is CRATER, and the associated words are: CAVITY, HOLE, HOLLOW, PIT.

Green Words in Today’s Connections

The green category is viewed as the second-easiest. The theme for the green group is ACCESSIBLE, and the words include: AVAILABLE, HANDY, NEARBY, READY.

Blue Words in Today’s Connections

The blue grouping is considered the next most challenging. Its theme revolves around SUBSTANTIAL, AS A MEAL, featuring the words: FILLING, HEARTY, SOLID, SQUARE.

Purple Words in Today’s Connections

The purple category is regarded as the toughest. Its theme is BRITISHISMS, comprising the words: BUTTY, CHIPPY, FOOTY, TELLY.

Solving Today’s Connections

It’s evident that BUTTY, CHIPPY, FOOTY, and TELLY form a group of British terms (butter, chips, football, television). 🟪

PIT, HOLE, CAVITY, and HOLLOW all denote different types of recesses. 🟨

READY, AVAILABLE, NEARBY, and HANDY describe items that are easy to access. 🟩

Lastly, HEARTY, SQUARE, SOLID, and FILLING all relate to substantial meals. 🟦 Quite simple today.

Connections
Puzzle #618
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Playing Connections

A complete guide for playing Connections is available, but here’s a quick overview of the rules:

Start by locating the Connections game either on the New York Times website or within the Games app (formerly the Crossword app). You will encounter a game board made up of 16 tiles, each displaying a word or phrase. Your challenge is to identify a set of four tiles that share a commonality. They might all belong to the same category (like types of precipitation: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW) or involve clever wordplay (for instance, BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH as types of lists: bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Select four items and click the Submit button. Correct guesses will reveal the category and its corresponding color. (Yellow indicates the easiest category, followed by green, then blue, and finally purple.) If the guess is incorrect, more attempts will be allowed.

The game is won once all four groups are identified accurately. However, if four wrong guesses are made before completion, the game concludes, and the answers will be displayed.

Strategies for Winning Connections

Understanding that the groupings are intentionally challenging is crucial for success in Connections. Anticipate overlapping categories. For example, a past puzzle included breakfast items such as BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. However, BACON ended up being part of a group of artists alongside CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG was grouped with items that come by the dozen (alongside JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Thus, be sure to confirm your group consists of only four related items before clicking submit.

If you find yourself at a standstill, consider looking at words that seem to be isolated from others. For instance, if WHISTLER reminds you solely of the painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” it could lead you to the group’s hidden connection. When solving that puzzle, further investigation into painters led me to discover that Close, who didn’t fit with the obvious themes, could be linked to a specific category as well.

Another effective way to navigate a tough situation is to check for helpful hints—which is precisely why these daily pointers are provided. Make sure to return tomorrow for the next puzzle!