NYT Connections April 16, 2025 #675 Hints & Answers
Need help with the New York Times Connections puzzle for April 16, 2025? PuzzHelp offers a complete guide with progressive hints, full answers, and insights for today's NYT Connections game #675. Our step-by-step approach helps you learn category patterns and solve challenging word groups without spoiling the fun. Explore hints, answers, and interesting facts about each category below.
Today's Connections Hints
General Hints
Click to reveal a helpful hint about each category in today's game.
One Word from Each Category
Click to reveal one word from each color group to help you get started.
Today's Connections Answers
BURLESQUE WEAR
BOA, CORSET, GARTER, STOCKINGS
MESS UP THE SURFACE OF
SCAR, SCRAPE, SCRATCH, SCORE
THEY ROAR
CROWD, ENGINE, KATY PERRY, LION
LATIN DANCES WITH A VOWEL CHANGED
MAMBA, MERINGUE, SIMBA, TANGY
Answer Explanations
Word-by-Word Analysis
BOA
A long, snake-like fluffy accessory typically made of feathers, worn around the neck or used during dance performances
CORSET
A fitted garment that cinches the waist and supports the bust, historically used as shapewear but now often seen in burlesque as outerwear
GARTER
An elastic band or strap worn around the thigh to hold up stockings, often embellished in burlesque costumes
STOCKINGS
Close-fitting, elastic garments covering the foot and leg, typically ending mid-thigh and held up by garters in burlesque fashion
While today burlesque is largely associated with risqué performance, the art form's name comes from the Italian 'burlesco,' meaning 'to mock.' Early burlesque in the 19th century began as humorous theatrical entertainment that parodied high culture, with costumes being only one element of a complex performance art that included comedy, dance, and social satire.
Word-by-Word Analysis
SCAR
To mark or damage a surface permanently, often leaving a visible mark or blemish
SCRAPE
To remove surface material by dragging a sharp or rough object across it
SCRATCH
To make a shallow cut or mark on a surface with a sharp object
SCORE
To make a long, narrow cut or line on a surface, often as a deliberate mark
The word 'score' has a fascinating etymology that connects its surface-marking meaning to its use in music and sports. The term originated from Old Norse 'skor' meaning 'notch' or 'tally,' as people would keep track of debts by cutting notches into tally sticks. This evolved into the practice of 'scoring' or marking lines on paper for musical notation, and eventually to recording points in games. The connection between physically marking a surface and recording information persists across these diverse contexts.
Word-by-Word Analysis
CROWD
A large group of people gathered together, often producing a loud collective sound similar to roaring, especially at sporting events or concerts
ENGINE
A machine that converts energy into mechanical force or motion, often producing a loud roaring sound when operating at high power
KATY PERRY
American pop star known for her 2013 hit song 'Roar,' which features the lyric 'You're gonna hear me roar'
LION
A large wild cat native to Africa and parts of Asia, known for its distinctive roaring vocalization
While lions are famous for their roars, they aren't actually the loudest roaring cats. The Guinness World Record for the loudest roar belongs to tigers, which can roar at about 114 decibels—roughly equivalent to standing 15 feet away from a jackhammer. Lion roars, while impressive at around 110 decibels, can still be heard up to 5 miles away across the savanna, which helps them communicate with other pride members and establish territorial boundaries.
Word-by-Word Analysis
MAMBA
Derived from 'mambo' (a Latin dance) by changing 'o' to 'a'; mamba is actually a venomous African snake
MERINGUE
Derived from 'merengue' (a Dominican dance) by changing 'e' to 'i'; meringue is a light, sweet dessert made from whipped egg whites and sugar
SIMBA
Derived from 'samba' (a Brazilian dance) by changing 'a' to 'i'; Simba is the protagonist lion in Disney's 'The Lion King'
TANGY
Derived from 'tango' (an Argentine dance) by changing 'o' to 'y'; tangy describes a sharp, acidic flavor
The merengue dance, which inspired 'meringue' in this puzzle, has a fascinating origin story. One popular legend claims the dance developed in the Dominican Republic when a local hero returned from battle with a leg injury. To help him save face at a celebration, other partygoers imitated his limping style, creating the characteristic side-to-side movement. While historians debate this story's accuracy, merengue was officially declared the Dominican national dance in 1930 and recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
Today's Red Herrings
Animal Connections
BOA (a snake), LION, MAMBA (a snake), and SIMBA (lion in Swahili) could mislead players into thinking there's an animal-themed category.
Food and Flavors
TANGY (a flavor), MERINGUE (a dessert), and potentially CORSET ('corsetto' sounds like a small dessert) might suggest a culinary connection.
S-Words
SCAR, SCRAPE, SCRATCH, SCORE, STOCKINGS, and SIMBA all begin with 'S', potentially creating a false pattern based on first letters.
Disney Characters
SIMBA is a Disney character, and players might look for other Disney connections among words like BOA (similar to 'Boa' in The Jungle Book), or even stretch to see KATY PERRY as having Disney connections through her music in films.
Body Parts
SCAR (on skin), GARTER (on leg), STOCKINGS (on legs), and potentially CORSET (on torso) might suggest connections to different body areas or body modifications.
Today's Learning Moments
Linguistic Wordplay
The purple category showcases how changing just one vowel in a word can create an entirely different meaning, highlighting the subtle yet powerful impact of vowels in English language construction.
Etymology Connections
Words like SCORE reveal how a single term can evolve to have multiple meanings across different contexts (marking surfaces, music notation, sports) while maintaining a conceptual link to its original meaning.
Fashion History
The burlesque category provides insight into historical undergarments that have evolved from practical shapewear to performance costume pieces, reflecting changing cultural attitudes toward fashion and performance.
Cultural References
Including Katy Perry and her song 'Roar' demonstrates how pop culture references can be integrated into word games, requiring players to draw on contemporary knowledge alongside vocabulary skills.
Latin Dance Awareness
The puzzle introduces players to four major Latin dance styles (mambo, merengue, samba, and tango), potentially sparking interest in these cultural art forms and their distinctive rhythms and movements.
Spoiler Alert!
This section contains the complete answer for today's NYT Connections puzzle. Are you sure you want to view it?