NYT Connections April 22, 2025 #681 Hints & Answers
Need help with the New York Times Connections puzzle for April 22, 2025? PuzzHelp offers a complete guide with progressive hints, full answers, and insights for today's NYT Connections game #681. 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
CANCEL, AS A PROJECT
AXE, CUT, DROP, SCRAP
SEEN IN A POTTERY STUDIO
CLAY, GLAZE, KILN, WHEEL
THINGS THAT ARE SLIPPERY
BANANA PEEL, EEL, GREASE, ICE
NATURAL PRODUCERS OF HEAT
FIRE, LIGHTNING, SUN, VOLCANO
Answer Explanations
Word-by-Word Analysis
AXE
To terminate or eliminate something decisively, especially a project, program, or position
CUT
To remove or eliminate something, often from a budget, schedule, or production
DROP
To abandon, cease, or discontinue a plan, project, or activity
SCRAP
To discard or abandon a plan, project, or idea completely
The term 'axe' as a verb meaning to eliminate or terminate something likely evolved from the literal action of chopping down or cutting something with an axe. This metaphorical usage became particularly common in corporate and entertainment settings during the late 20th century, when executives would 'axe' projects or employees during budget cuts or restructuring.
Word-by-Word Analysis
CLAY
The primary material used in pottery, a natural earthy material that becomes plastic when wet and hardens when fired
GLAZE
A liquid suspension that is applied to ceramics before firing and forms a glassy coating during the firing process
KILN
A specialized oven or furnace used for firing, drying, or hardening pottery or ceramics at high temperatures
WHEEL
A rotating platform used by potters to shape clay into symmetrical forms while it spins
The potter's wheel is one of humanity's oldest technologies, dating back to about 3500 BCE in Mesopotamia. Before its invention, pottery was handbuilt using coiling or pinching techniques. The introduction of the wheel revolutionized ceramic production by allowing for faster creation of symmetrical vessels and marking one of the earliest examples of rotary motion being harnessed for manufacturing purposes.
Word-by-Word Analysis
BANANA PEEL
The outer skin of a banana that, when discarded, has a notoriously slippery surface, often used as a comedic prop in slapstick humor
EEL
A snake-like fish with smooth, scaleless skin covered in mucus that makes it extremely slippery and difficult to hold
GREASE
A thick, oily substance that creates a slick surface with very low friction
ICE
Frozen water that forms a solid, slippery surface with minimal friction, especially when wet
The banana peel's reputation as a slippery hazard originated in the late 19th century when bananas became a popular imported fruit in American cities. The discarded peels on sidewalks genuinely created a public safety issue, leading to actual accidents and injuries. This real-life hazard was quickly adopted into vaudeville acts and early silent films, cementing the banana peel slip as one of comedy's most enduring physical gags.
Word-by-Word Analysis
FIRE
The rapid oxidation of material in a chemical process that releases heat, light, and various reaction products
LIGHTNING
A naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during thunderstorms that produces intense heat, with temperatures potentially reaching 30,000°C (54,000°F)
SUN
The star at the center of our solar system that generates enormous heat through nuclear fusion reactions
VOLCANO
A rupture in the Earth's crust that allows hot magma, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from below the surface, producing extreme heat
Lightning strikes are so incredibly hot—approximately five times hotter than the surface of the sun—that they instantly heat the air around them, causing it to rapidly expand and create the sonic shock wave we hear as thunder. This extreme heat can also fuse particles of sand or soil along its path, creating glass-like tubes called fulgurites, essentially fossilized lightning strikes that can be found buried in the ground.
Today's Red Herrings
Tools and Implements
Words like AXE, WHEEL, and possibly KILN might initially seem like a group of tools or mechanical devices, pulling focus from their intended categories.
Natural Elements
FIRE, ICE, CLAY, and SUN could appear to form a group related to basic natural elements or materials, creating a false connection across different categories.
Heat-Related Terms
FIRE, KILN, SUN, and VOLCANO share obvious heat associations, but KILN belongs with pottery terms rather than natural heat sources.
Cooking/Kitchen Terms
GREASE, FIRE, CUT, and potentially WHEEL (as in cheese wheel) might suggest kitchen or cooking terminology, distracting from their actual categories.
Entertainment/Performance Terms
BANANA PEEL (comedy), DROP (as in drop a beat/album), CUT (directing term), and AXE (musical instrument) could create confusion by suggesting entertainment connections.
Today's Learning Moments
Metaphorical Language
The 'CANCEL, AS A PROJECT' category highlights how English frequently repurposes physical action words (AXE, CUT) as metaphors for abstract concepts, showing the evolution of language from concrete to conceptual meanings.
Craft Terminology
The pottery category introduces specialized vocabulary from a traditional craft that has remained largely unchanged for millennia, connecting players to ancient technologies and techniques still practiced today.
Physics of Friction
The 'THINGS THAT ARE SLIPPERY' category subtly educates players about different mechanisms that reduce friction: ice's molecular structure, grease's viscosity, an eel's mucus coating, and the peculiar properties of banana peels.
Natural Energy Sources
The 'NATURAL PRODUCERS OF HEAT' category spans astronomical (SUN), geological (VOLCANO), meteorological (LIGHTNING), and chemical (FIRE) phenomena, highlighting the diverse natural processes that generate thermal energy on Earth.
Multi-contextual Word Usage
Several words in this puzzle have significantly different meanings in various contexts (e.g., DROP as cancellation vs. physical falling, FIRE as termination vs. combustion), demonstrating the rich polysemy of English vocabulary.
Spoiler Alert!
This section contains the complete answer for today's NYT Connections puzzle. Are you sure you want to view it?