Did you know that over 2 million people attempt NYT Connections daily, but only 70% complete it successfully? If you’re staring at those 16 seemingly random words scattered across your screen, wondering how they possibly connect, you’re not alone.
Today’s Connections puzzle #731 for June 11, 2025 has stumped thousands of players, but we’ve cracked the code and found the perfect strategy to guide you through each category without breaking your winning streak.
What Makes NYT Connections So Challenging?
NYT Connections isn’t just another word game. It’s a mental puzzle that tests your ability to see patterns, think laterally, and make unexpected connections. The game presents 16 words in a 4×4 grid, and your job is to group them into four categories of four words each.
Understanding the Color-Coded Difficulty System:
Each category has a specific difficulty level marked by colors:
Yellow Category (Easiest):
These connections are usually straightforward. Think synonyms, obvious word families, or clear thematic groups.
Green Category (Easy-Medium):
Slightly trickier than yellow. Often involves objects, actions, or concepts that share a common characteristic.
Blue Category (Medium-Hard):
Requires more lateral thinking. Connections might be based on cultural references, wordplay, or specific knowledge.
Purple Category (Hardest):
The most challenging group. Often involves clever wordplay, multiple meanings, or obscure connections that require deep thinking.
Strategic Hints for Today’s Puzzle (June 11, 2025)
We’ve crafted these hints to guide you without giving away the answers completely:
Hint for Yellow Category:
Think about words that describe showing off or bragging behavior. These are actions people do when they want to display their achievements or abilities.
Hint for Green Category:
Picture shapes in nature and everyday objects. What do bridges, smiles, and certain fruits have in common? Think about their physical form.
Hint for Blue Category:
Saturday morning cartoon memories will help here. Think about the characters that sell you breakfast cereals on TV commercials and cereal boxes.
Hint for Purple Category:
Academic writers and researchers use these symbols and methods to show where they got their information. Think about footnotes and reference styles.
Today’s Complete Solution Breakdown
• Category 1 – BOAST (Yellow)
Words: Bluster, Crow, Show Off, Strut
What Connects Them:
All these words describe ways to brag or show off. When someone blusters, they speak loudly about their achievements. To crow means to boast proudly. Show off is self-explanatory. Strut means to walk in a proud, confident way.
• Category 2 – ARC-SHAPED THINGS (Green):
What Connects Them:
Each item naturally forms a curved, arc-like shape. Bananas curve as they grow. Eyebrows arch over our eyes. Flight paths curve due to Earth’s rotation. Rainbows create perfect arcs in the sky.
• Category 3 – CEREAL MASCOTS (Blue)
Words: Count, Elves, Leprechaun, Rooster
What Connects Them:
These represent famous cereal mascots. Count refers to Count Chocula. Elves represents the Keebler Elves (though they’re more cookie-focused, they appear on some cereals). Leprechaun is Lucky from Lucky Charms. Rooster represents Cornelius from Corn Flakes.
• Category 4 – WAYS TO DENOTE A CITATION (Purple)
Words: Asterisk, Dagger, Number, Parens
What Connects Them:
Academic and professional writers use these symbols to mark citations and footnotes. Asterisks (*) mark footnotes. Daggers (†) indicate references. Numbers show numbered citations. Parens (parentheses) contain citation information.

Monojit Paul is the founder and editor of techautohub.com. He covers India’s automotive industry, focusing on new launches, cars, bikes, and market trends.


