NYT Connections May 1, 2025 #690 Hints & Answers
Need help with the New York Times Connections puzzle for May 1, 2025? PuzzHelp offers a complete guide with progressive hints, full answers, and insights for today's NYT Connections game #690. 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
WINNINGS
POT, PRIZE, PURSE, REWARD
STOP, AS A HABIT
BREAK, DROP, KICK, SHAKE
MOVIE CAMERA VERBS
DOLLY, PAN, TILT, ZOOM
WORDS THAT PRECEDE "-SIZE" TO MEAN SMALL
BITE, FUN, POCKET, TRAVEL
Answer Explanations
Word-by-Word Analysis
POT
The accumulated sum of money or stakes that is awarded to the winner of a game or competition, especially in card games and gambling
PRIZE
Something of value (often money, a trophy, or an award) given to a winner of a competition or contest
PURSE
The total amount of prize money available in a sporting event, particularly in boxing, horse racing, or golf tournaments
REWARD
Something given in recognition of service, effort, achievement, or as compensation for something done
The term 'purse' as a prize in competitions dates back to medieval tournaments where a literal purse filled with coins was often hung on a pole or presented to winners. This tradition evolved into the modern concept of a 'purse' in professional sports, which can now reach astronomical amounts—the largest boxing purse in history was approximately $300 million for Floyd Mayweather in his 2015 fight against Manny Pacquiao.
Word-by-Word Analysis
BREAK
To end a habit suddenly and completely, as in 'to break a habit' or 'break an addiction'
DROP
To abandon or give up a habit or routine, as in 'drop the habit' or 'drop smoking'
KICK
To overcome or rid oneself of an addiction or dependency, as in 'kick the habit' or 'kick drugs'
SHAKE
To free oneself from something unwanted or troublesome, as in 'shake the habit' or 'shake an addiction'
The phrase 'kick the habit' originated in the early 20th century and is believed to refer to the physical movements or 'kicking' motions that occur during withdrawal symptoms from certain substances. The term gained widespread usage in the 1930s during anti-drug campaigns and has since become a metaphor for overcoming any type of habitual behavior, not just substance dependencies.
Word-by-Word Analysis
DOLLY
A technique where the entire camera is moved toward or away from the subject on a wheeled platform or track
PAN
A horizontal camera movement where the camera rotates from a fixed position, typically to follow action or reveal scenery
TILT
A vertical camera movement where the camera pivots up or down from a fixed position
ZOOM
Adjusting the focal length of the camera lens to make the subject appear closer or farther away without physically moving the camera
The term 'dolly' for the wheeled camera platform dates back to the early days of cinema in the 1910s. It was named because the smooth, gliding motion resembled how a child's doll might be pushed along the floor. The first documented use of a dolly shot is attributed to Giovanni Pastrone in his 1914 Italian epic 'Cabiria,' which pioneered many camera techniques that would later be adopted by filmmakers worldwide, including D.W. Griffith.
Word-by-Word Analysis
BITE
As 'bite-size,' refers to food or items small enough to be eaten in a single bite
FUN
As 'fun-size,' typically describes smaller versions of candy bars or treats, ironically implying their reduced size makes them more enjoyable
As 'pocket-size,' indicates something small enough to fit in a pocket, like books, devices, or tools
TRAVEL
As 'travel-size,' denotes products or items made smaller for convenience during travel, particularly toiletries and cosmetics
The term 'fun-size' was introduced by Mars, Inc. in 1968 as a marketing strategy for their miniature candy bars, creating a clever euphemism for 'smaller than regular.' The psychological trick worked brilliantly—by associating the smaller product with 'fun' rather than 'less,' consumers came to view the reduced size as a positive feature rather than getting less value. This marketing innovation has since been adapted across numerous industries for miniaturized products.
Today's Red Herrings
Money-Related Terms
POT, PURSE (as a container for money), and POCKET could mislead players into creating a false money-themed category, rather than recognizing that POT and PURSE belong to 'WINNINGS' while POCKET belongs to the '-SIZE' category.
Physical Actions
SHAKE, BREAK, TILT, and DROP might appear to form a category about physical movements or actions with objects, distracting from their intended separate categories of 'STOP, AS A HABIT' and 'MOVIE CAMERA VERBS.'
Cooking Terms
PAN (cooking utensil), BITE (action while eating), and potentially POT (cooking vessel) could suggest a cooking-themed group, dividing words from their true categories.
Movement Words
DOLLY (moving a cart), PAN (moving a camera), TILT (changing angle), ZOOM (moving closer), and potentially SHAKE (moving rapidly) might seem to create a larger category about general movement rather than specifically camera movements.
Travel-Related Terms
TRAVEL obviously relates to journeys, but POCKET (for carrying items), PAN (as in to pan across a landscape), and ZOOM (moving quickly) could create a false travel-themed connection.
Today's Learning Moments
Cinematic Literacy
The 'MOVIE CAMERA VERBS' category introduces players to fundamental cinematography terminology, enhancing appreciation for the technical aspects of filmmaking and the precise language used to describe camera movements.
Linguistic Patterns
The 'WORDS THAT PRECEDE "-SIZE" TO MEAN SMALL' category highlights how English creates compound words with consistent patterns to express related concepts, demonstrating the productivity of combining existing words to create new meanings.
Metaphorical Language
The 'STOP, AS A HABIT' category showcases how physical action verbs (BREAK, DROP, KICK, SHAKE) have evolved metaphorical meanings when applied to abstract concepts like habits and addictions, illustrating the richness of figurative language.
Commercial Terminology
The 'WINNINGS' category reveals the specialized vocabulary used in different competitive contexts, from gambling (POT) to sports (PURSE), demonstrating how specific domains develop their own terminology for similar concepts.
Marketing Language Evolution
Terms like 'fun-size' in the purple category show how marketing language has entered everyday vocabulary, often through euphemistic naming that influences how we perceive products (making 'smaller' sound like a benefit rather than a reduction).
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