If you’re in search of the Connections solution for Tuesday, February 4, 2025, you’re in the right place! This article will provide insights, helpful hints, and strategies, ultimately revealing the answers for all four groupings. As we delve into the puzzle, I will clarify some of the more challenging words so we can truly understand how everything links together. Beware – spoilers lie ahead for NYT Connections #604 on February 4! Continue reading for hints and solutions regarding today’s Connections challenge.

If you wish to easily revisit these daily hints, bookmark this page. This will also give you access to previous hints should you want to catch up on past puzzles.

In the sections below, some subtle clues regarding today’s Connections solutions will be provided, and further down, the themes and actual answers will be unveiled. Take your time scrolling and only grab the hints you truly need!

Credit: Connections/NYT

Hints for Today’s Connections Themes

Here are some hints for the categories in today’s Connections, without revealing too much:

• Yellow category – Use sparingly, as you’ll want some for the future.

• Green category – Relates to what you might do to your nails or a table seeking a new finish.

• Blue category – Activities you might engage in on DraftKings or FanDuel.

• Purple category – Pairs well with a medical term.

Spoiler Alert: The Answers Follow!

The following content includes answer revelations. Proceed with caution if you want to keep the thrill of the challenge alive. (All of the solutions are listed further down this page.)

Understanding the Tricky Terms

When considering PRESERVE, remember it is a verb that may evoke thoughts of fruit preserves, but it doesn’t link with SPREAD or BUTTER.

BUFF is another verb, potentially involving physical effort to ‘buff out’ scratches.

PARLAY is a term predominantly found in gambling circles. Those familiar with betting may find it easier to identify related words.

Adding a word to CHICKEN results in a dish commonly found on children’s menus.

Categories in Today’s Connections

• Yellow: CONSERVE

• Green: SMOOTH THROUGH FRICTION

• Blue: TERMS IN SPORTS BETTING

• Purple: WORDS THAT COME BEFORE “FINGERS”

Caution: Solutions Are Listed Below

Ready to discover the answers to today’s Connections puzzle? They are disclosed below.

The Yellow Grouping

This category is deemed the most straightforward. The theme is CONSERVE, comprising the words: KEEP, PRESERVE, SAVE, STORE.

The Green Grouping

The second category in terms of difficulty relates to SMOOTH THROUGH FRICTION, encompassing: BUFF, FILE, GRIND, SAND.

The Blue Grouping

The blue group presents a medium challenge. The theme involves TERMS IN SPORTS BETTING, including: FAVORITE, PARLAY, SPREAD, UNDER.

The Purple Grouping

The most difficult category is linked to WORDS THAT COME BEFORE “FINGERS,” featuring: BUTTER, CHICKEN, LADY, STICKY.

Solving Today’s Connections

Initially, there was the thought that FILE and SAVE may correlate as computer command options. However, SAVE actually aligns with KEEP, STORE, and PRESERVE.

In contrast, SAND, FILE, BUFF, and GRIND all involve actions for smoothing or wearing surfaces.

Now, the last set of eight words presents difficulty. SPREAD and BUTTER could relate to items applied on toast, yet they don’t seem quite right. FAVORITE and STICKY might represent actions related to keeping items (like a STICKY note).

PARLAY stands apart as a gambling term, describing the act of using winnings for the chance of a greater reward.

Possibly, LADY and CHICKEN are related, as both precede “fingers.” LADYfingers are components of desserts like tiramisu, while CHICKEN fingers are popular among children. Also, examples include “BUTTERfingers” (a term for clumsiness) and “STICKY fingers” (indicative of theft).

This leaves us with the remaining terms, FAVORITE, SPREAD, PARLAY, and UNDER. Could they all relate to gambling? Card games? They don’t collectively fit, but we can uncover it to be the category of SPORTS GAMBLING TERMS. Success!

Connections
Puzzle #604

Playing Connections: An Overview

A comprehensive guide to playing Connections is available, but here’s a quick refresher regarding the rules:

To start, find the Connections game either on the New York Times website or within their Games app (previously the Crossword app). You’ll be presented with a game board containing 16 tiles, each bearing a distinct word or phrase. Your task is to select a group of four tiles sharing a common theme. Typically, these words belong to the same category (for instance: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all types of precipitation), but sometimes they may offer wordplay (such as BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH forming a type of list: bucket list, guest list, etc.).

Once you select four items, press the Submit button. If your selection is accurate, the category and color will be displayed (with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and finally purple). Should your selection be incorrect, you’ll get another chance to guess.

The objective is to successfully identify all four groups. However, making four wrong guesses before completion results in the game ending with the answers revealed.

Winning Strategies for Connections

The central aspect to winning Connections is recognizing that the classifications can be quite deceptive. Expect to encounter overlapping group categories. For example, one puzzle included several breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. Yet, BACON was part of a grouping labeled painters including CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG was associated with items that come in dozens (alongside JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Therefore, only proceed with “submit” once you have confirmed that your quartet consists of strictly the specified four items.

When facing difficulties, consider identifying the words that seem to lack a connection with the others. For instance, if WHISTLER only brings to mind the artwork known as “Whistler’s Mother,” this could guide you toward a breakthrough. During a past solution, researching whether there was a painter named Close led to uncovering the connection.

Alternatively, seeking out additional clues can aid you during challenging moments, accounting for why these tips are offered daily. Remember to return for the next puzzle tomorrow!