NYT Connections May 7 answers and hints for puzzle #696: Full breakdown of today’s categories including tarot, healing words, and gemstone homophones

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for May 7, 2025: Puzzle #696 Explained in Simple Word- The thousands hooked on The New York Times Connections puzzle, you're likely searching for today’s Connections hints, answers, and an easy breakdown. Puzzle #696 for May 7, 2025, features an interesting mix of categories, including a Tarot-themed group that even non-experts found approachable. Here's everything you need to know—from clues to categories, plus a full solution breakdown that keeps things human, simple, and shareable.

What is today’s NYT Connections puzzle about?

Today's puzzle (Connections #696) dives into familiar language themes but also throws in a twist with Tarot card references and wordplay using homophones. Even if you're not a Tarot enthusiast, the clues were friendly enough to guide players to the answers.

For those new to the game, Connections gives players 16 words and challenges them to group them into four correct sets of four based on a shared connection. It’s more about word association and patterns than definitions.

What are the hints for each Connections group today?

These helpful clues were ranked by difficulty, starting with the easiest category (yellow) and ending with the trickiest (purple).

• Yellow group hint: Wear a cast
  
  
• Green group hint: Not so fast, you
  
  
• Blue group hint: Tarot
  
  
• Purple group hint: Think jewelry, and wordplay
  
  

These subtle nudges were key in guiding players toward the right groupings.

What’s the yellow group in today’s Connections puzzle?

Category: Get better, as a broken bone
Words: heal, knit, mend, recover

This group leaned into the idea of healing and recovery. If you’ve ever broken a bone or had a surgery, you’ll recognize that “knit” isn’t just for sweaters—bones knit back together over time.

What’s the green group for May 7 Connections?

Category: Not including
Words: besides, but, except, save

These words are all ways to exclude or set something apart in a sentence. “Save” may seem off at first, but in formal writing, it can mean “except,” like: All options were discussed, save one.

What are the blue group words about Tarot?

Category: Tarot minor arcana suits
Words: cups, pentacles, swords, wands

This was the Tarot-related group that stumped some but also sparked interest. These four items are the traditional suits in the Minor Arcana of Tarot decks—each one symbolizing different aspects of life like emotions (cups), work/money (pentacles), action (wands), and intellect/conflict (swords).

What’s the purple group, and why is it tricky?

Category: Homophones of gemstones
Words: choral, opel, purl, quarts

This group is the hardest because it plays on homophones—words that sound like gemstones but aren’t spelled the same. Here's a quick breakdown:

• choral sounds like coral
  
  
• opel mimics opal
  
  
• purl sounds like pearl
  
  
• quarts sounds like quartz
  
  

This clever use of wordplay and sound is classic NYT Connections trickery.

What’s new with NYT’s Connections and scoring?

The New York Times recently launched a Connections Bot, similar to the one used in Wordle. Now, registered users can track their stats, including:

• Number of puzzles completed
  
  
• Win rate
  
  
• Number of perfect scores
  
  
• Ongoing streaks
  
  

It adds a gameified touch to the word puzzle experience and encourages users to keep improving over time.

FAQs:

Q1. What are the NYT Connections May 7 answers for Puzzle #696?
Heal, knit, mend, recover; besides, but, except, save; cups, pentacles, swords, wands; choral, opel, purl, quarts.

Q2. What is the Tarot group in NYT Connections today?
It includes four minor arcana suits: cups, pentacles, swords, and wands.