NYT Connections hints and answers for Friday, March 21 (game #649)
My clues will help you solve the NYT's Connections puzzle today and keep that streak going

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Thursday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, March 20 (game #648).
Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.
What should you do once you've finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I've also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc's Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.
SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.
NYT Connections today (game #649) - today's words
Today's NYT Connections words are…
- COMPASS
- ICON
- SOAP
- WORLD
- LEGEND
- EXAM
- STENCIL
- CHART
- SCENE
- RULER
- MITZVAH
- CIRCLE
- GREAT
- SPHERE
- LION
- T-SQUARE
NYT Connections today (game #649) - hint #1 - group hints
What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: A person’s environment
- GREEN: Notable
- BLUE: Building plans
- PURPLE: The word that connects them rhymes with “car”
Need more clues?
We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…
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NYT Connections today (game #649) - hint #2 - group answers
What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?
- YELLOW: MILIEU
- GREEN: LUMINARY
- BLUE: ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING TOOLS
- PURPLE: __BAR
Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.
NYT Connections today (game #649) - the answers
The answers to today's Connections, game #649, are…
- YELLOW: MILIEU CIRCLE, SCENE, SPHERE, WORLD
- GREEN: LUMINARY GREAT, ICON, LEGEND, LION
- BLUE: ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING TOOLS COMPASS, RULER, STENCIL, T-SQUARE
- PURPLE: __BAR CHART, EXAM, MITZVAH, SOAP
- My rating: Moderate
- My score: 1 mistake
A very rare Connections where I saw the Purple group well before the end. MITZVAH was the biggest clue but I still used up a Mistake. I knew the common thread was the word __BAR but stupidly I included LION as there is a UK candy called Lion Bar and I thought maybe it was a worldwide thing. This daft decision aside, I'm pleased to have completed today’s puzzle.
I almost included CIRCLE among the ARCHITECTURAL DRAWING TOOLS before remembering it’s the same thing as a COMPASS.
In another rarity I didn’t get the Yellow group at all, seeing LUMINARY first – including LION was a stretch, but I didn’t see any alternatives.
How did you do today? Let me know in the comments below.
Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Thursday, 20 March, game #648)
- YELLOW: OUTSPOKEN DIRECT, FRANK, LOUD, VOCAL
- GREEN: BODIES OF WATER BAY, CHANNEL, SOUND, STRAIT
- BLUE: KINDS OF CORDS BUNGEE, EXTENSION, SPINAL, UMBILICAL
- PURPLE: THINGS IN BOTTLES GENIE, LIGHTNING, MESSAGE, SHIP
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.
On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.
It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.
It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.
Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.
- Marc McLarenGlobal Editor in Chief
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