Looking for help with today’s NYT Connections puzzle? Whether you’re stumped by one tricky group or just want a full breakdown of the answers, we’ve got you covered. Puzzle #703 brings an eclectic mix of themes, from Greek roots to movie animals, and even a silent letter twist that might throw you off track. Here’s your complete guide to today’s NYT Connections challenge.
What is NYT Connections?
If you’re new to Connections, it’s one of the New York Times’ most popular daily word puzzles. The challenge? Group 16 seemingly unrelated words into four sets of four, with each group sharing a common theme. Some themes are straightforward; others are abstract, tricky, or based on wordplay. The groups are color-coded by difficulty:
- Yellow: Easiest
- Green: Medium difficulty
- Blue: Harder
- Purple: Most difficult or obscure
Also read: Today’s Quordle Hints & Answers – May 14, Game #1206
Yellow Group Hint: Move or Flow
Let’s start with the most straightforward category today. Think about how water moves through fabric, or how a sponge soaks up liquid.
Hint: All of these words relate to absorbing or moving liquids using capillary action.
Yellow Group Answer (Theme: Absorb Using Capillary Action):
- Draw
- Pull
- Suck
- Wick
These words might not seem directly connected at first glance, but they all describe the action of pulling liquid from one place to another—like how a candle wick draws up wax or how a paper towel soaks up water. If you thought in terms of basic physics or household processes, this one was probably a quick solve.
Green Group Hint: Think Athens
This group requires a bit of linguistic or scientific background. If you’re familiar with metric units, modern technologies, or classical references, you might have caught on quickly.
Hint: These are all prefixes from the Greek language.
Green Group Answer (Theme: Greek Prefixes):
- Hyper
- Kilo
- Meta
- Neo
These prefixes are all rooted in the Greek language and are used widely in English:
- Hyper (over, excessive)
- Kilo (thousand)
- Meta (beyond, change)
- Neo (new)
Recognizing these as parts of compound words (like hyperactive, kilogram, metadata, or neoclassical) would’ve helped nail this category.
Blue Group Hint: Lights, Camera, Animals!
This category was a fun one—especially for movie buffs. If you thought about children’s movies or films where animals talk, you were on the right track.
Hint: These are all the names of animals that are the title characters in movies.
Blue Group Answer (Theme: Titular Talking Animals of Film):
- Babe
- Bolt
- Dumbo
- Ted
Each of these animals is the main character in their respective film:
- Babe (the talking pig)
- Bolt (the animated dog with superpowers)
- Dumbo (the elephant who flies)
- Ted (the talking teddy bear)
This category leaned into pop culture, and if you’re up on your movies—even animated or comedic ones—you likely got this one with a smile.
Purple Group Hint: Letters You Don’t Pronounce
The trickiest group today involved some stealthy spelling quirks. These are words that start with silent letters—something you might only realize after sounding them out.
Hint: These words all begin with letters that aren’t pronounced.
Purple Group Answer (Theme: Starting with Silent Letters):
- Gnome
- Knee
- Mnemonic
- Psyche
These words are notorious for tripping up learners of English:
- Gnome starts with a silent G
- Knee starts with a silent K
- Mnemonic starts with a silent M
- Psyche starts with a silent P
If you were going by sound rather than spelling, this one might’ve left you scratching your head until the pieces finally clicked.
Related:
Strategy Tip of the Day
When solving NYT Connections, always scan for possible word categories you’re familiar with—such as units of measurement, pop culture, or language patterns. Look for prefixes, word parts, and cultural references. If a few words seem to “stick together,” test that theory before forcing a group.
And don’t forget: silent letters, homonyms, and slang often show up in purple categories. Keeping a flexible mindset is key.
Also read: NYT Mini Crossword Answers and Hints for Wednesday, May 14
Final Thoughts for Puzzle #703
Today’s puzzle (May 14, 2025) brought a fun variety of themes, ranging from the educational to the entertaining. Whether you nailed the talking animals or got tripped up by the silent letters, each group required a different kind of thinking.
Here’s a quick recap of the categories and answers:
- Absorb Using Capillary Action: Draw, Pull, Suck, Wick
- Greek Prefixes: Hyper, Kilo, Meta, Neo
- Titular Talking Animals of Film: Babe, Bolt, Dumbo, Ted
- Starting With Silent Letters: Gnome, Knee, Mnemonic, Psyche
