Searching for the Connections answer for March 30, 2025? Continue reading for clues, techniques, and strategies that I will share, along with the solutions to the four categories. I will also clarify the definitions of some of the more challenging words we encounter, ensuring we understand how they all connect. Warning: Spoilers for March 30, NYT Connections #658 lie ahead! Continue if you’re interested in hints (and eventually the answer) for today’s Connections game.

If you’re seeking a quick way to revisit our Connections hints daily, save this link. You can also check past hints from previous puzzles if you want to catch up on what you might have overlooked.

Below, you’ll find some indirect hints about today’s Connections answers. More detailed themes and solutions will be presented further down the page. Feel free to scroll slowly and take only the clues you require!

Credit: Connections/NYT

Hints for Today’s Connections Categories

Here are some thematic hints for the current Connections game, avoiding any spoilers:

• Yellow category – Considered to be right in the balance between extremes.

• Green category – Items you might see illustrated on a coin or displayed within a governmental establishment.

• Blue category – These words require strong vocalists to embody the characters associated with them.

• Purple category – These words share a common three-letter suffix to formulate new terms.

Attention: Spoilers Ahead!

We are about to disclose some of the solutions. Scroll carefully if you want to avoid revealing the entire answer. (The complete solutions will appear a bit later.)

Considerations for the Challenging Parts

Although numerous golf-related terms appear (PAR, EAGLE, BIRDIE, DOLLY), there isn’t a specific golf category in today’s puzzle.

PAR signifies a standard against which performance can be measured.

SPOKES might lead to thoughts of a wheel, but attaching something to it transforms it into a term referring to a representative of a business or brand.

If you were to address someone named DOLLY, you might exclaim “Hello, DOLLY!!” Are there additional titles in the realm of musicals evident on the board? (This could be challenging if Broadway references are unfamiliar.)

Categories in Today’s Connections

• Yellow: AVERAGE

• Green: PICTURED ON THE U.S. GREAT SEAL

• Blue: PROPER NOUNS IN BROADWAY MUSICAL TITLES THAT ARE SPOKEN PHRASES

• Purple: ___MAN

Double Warning: Answers Below

Eager to uncover the solutions for today’s Connections game? They are revealed below.

Yellow Words in Today’s Connections

The yellow group is generally the most accessible. Its theme is AVERAGE, comprising the words: MEAN, NORM, PAR, STANDARD.

Green Words in Today’s Connections

The green grouping is considered the second easiest. The theme here is PICTURED ON THE U.S. GREAT SEAL, and includes: ARROWS, EAGLE, OLIVE BRANCH, SHIELD.

Blue Words in Today’s Connections

The blue group is rated as the second hardest. It revolves around PROPER NOUNS IN BROADWAY MUSICAL TITLES THAT ARE SPOKEN PHRASES, featuring: BIRDIE, DOLLY, KATE, YANKEES.

Purple Words in Today’s Connections

The purple collection is recognized as the trickiest. It centers on the theme ___MAN with the words: BOGEY, CRAFTS, GENTLE, SPOKES.

Decoding the Current Connections

Initially, a few potential themes stand out, including American symbols, sports terminology, and words that define an average.

Beginning with MEAN, STANDARD, PAR, and NORM, these all pertain to some measurement of average. 🟨 Excellent.

Next, searching for ARROWS, OLIVE BRANCH, SHIELD, and EAGLE—all featured on the official seal of the United States. 🟩

Then, BIRDIE, BOGEY, and DOLLY begin to form a connection. BIRDIE refers to an object struck in badminton, but it also denotes a score of one stroke under par in golf. A BOGEY signifies a score of one stroke over par. Notably, DOLLY is a term used for scoring an eight on a hole (which translates, via sideways positioning, into a crude nod toward Dolly Parton’s physique).

The emerging golf theme could have misled me, particularly with terms like PAR and EAGLE highlighting that connection.

However, I suspect the golf motif may be a distraction at this point. DOLLY, BIRDIE, and KATE directly relate to prominent musical titles: Hello, Dolly!, Bye Bye Birdie, and Kiss Me, Kate. YANKEES might reference Damn Yankees as well. 🟦 These titles are all recognized spoken phrases. Phew, that was a challenge!

This leaves us with CRAFTS, SPOKES, GENTLE, and BOGEY. CRAFTS brings to mind “arts and CRAFTS,” while SPOKES resonates with wheel components. Still puzzling over this might require further thought. 🟪 For ___MAN, BOGEYman clearly embodies the spooky monster kids often fear, while the other three relate to more straightforward concepts.

Today’s challenge was indeed rigorous.

Connections
Puzzle #658
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Playing Connections: A Quick Guide

A complete guide for Connections exists, but here’s a quick recap:

To start, locate the Connections game either on the New York Times website or through the Games app (previously known as the Crossword app). The game presents a board comprising 16 tiles, each displaying a word or phrase. Your objective is to choose a set of four tiles that share an underlying connection. Often, these will be items of the same category (for instance: RAIN, SLEET, HAIL, and SNOW are all forms of precipitation), but sometimes wordplay comes into play (for instance, elements like BUCKET, GUEST, TOP TEN, and WISH might all signify types of lists).

Select four words and tap the Submit button. If the selection is correct, the corresponding category and color will become visible (yellow is the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple). If your choice is incorrect, you’ll have another chance to reattempt.

The game concludes when you accurately identify all four groups. However, if you make four errors before completing your guesses, the game is over, revealing the answers.

Strategies to Succeed in Connections

Key to winning Connections is recognizing that the groupings are intentionally designed to be complex. Expect to see intersecting categories. For example, a previous puzzle presented six breakfast items: BACON, EGG, PANCAKE, OMELET, WAFFLE, and CEREAL. Yet, BACON was ultimately part of a category of artists including CLOSE, MUNCH, and WHISTLER, while EGG fell into a grouping of items available in dozens (alongside JUROR, ROSE, and MONTH). Therefore, don’t rush to click “submit” until confirming that your selected four indeed consist of only those four items.

Another useful tactic when faced with uncertainty is to focus on those words that appear disconnected from others. If the first thought that occurs when encountering WHISTLER is about the painting known as “Whistler’s Mother,” you may be onto something insightful. In a similar vein, having solved that puzzle prompted me to research whether there was an artist named Close, as Close didn’t align with any immediate themes, either.

When in doubt, reading a few helpful hints—like the ones provided here every day—can be advantageous. Remember to check back tomorrow for the next exciting puzzle!