Chinstrap And Protractor Meaning In NYT Connections For May 17, 2025 (#706)

NYT Connections presents 16 words and requires grouping them into four sets, each linked by a common theme or connection.

Yesterday’s puzzle included words like Kubrick and Michael Jordan, which made them difficult to group under a common theme.

In today’s NYT Connections, many including myself struggled to categorize words like Chinstrap and Protractor into a clear group.

Solutions For Today’s NYT Connections (May 17, 2025)

In Connections, words are divided into four categories: Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple, each representing a progressively higher level of difficulty.

Begin today’s puzzle by examining each word, and you’ll quickly identify the first group in no time.

The yellow group, the simplest of the four, is titled “Member of a Kingdom in Taxonomy” in today’s NYT Connections.

It includes words like Animal, Bacteria, Fungus, and Plant, each representing a distinct category used to classify living organisms.

The more you play, the easier it becomes to group the words, as fewer words result in fewer possible combinations.

Meaning Of “Protractor” In NYT Connections

Although “Protractor” has multiple meanings, in today’s NYT Connections, it refers to a tool used for measuring angles.

This aligns perfectly with words like Beaker, Ruler, and Syringe, which are all instruments featuring measurement scales.

As a result, the green group titled “Graduated Instruments” is formed in today’s NYT Connections.

This solves half of the puzzle, and with half the words removed, you can more easily group the remaining eight.

“Chinstrap” Meaning In Today’s NYT Connections

Generally, a chinstrap refers to a strap attached to a hat, helmet, or headgear, securing it under the wearer’s chin.

In today’s puzzle, however, Chinstrap refers to a species of penguin, named for the thin black band beneath its chin that resembles such a strap.

Similarly, terms like Emperor, King, and Macaroni each denote distinct species of penguins.

Sharing this common theme, they create the third group, the blue group in today’s puzzle titled “Kinds of Penguins.”

The final group is easier to identify, as only four words remain. We group them together to complete today’s NYT Connections.

The final group in today’s puzzle comes together under the title “‘E’ Things.”

It features words like Commerce, Mail, Scooter, and Signature, which are traditional concepts that can be adapted into electronic forms.

Here is the complete list of today’s NYT Connections words and themes, organized by their level of difficulty.

• Member of a Kingdom in Taxonomy (Yellow): Animal, Bacteria, Fungus, Plant
• Graduated Instruments (Green): Beaker, Ruler, Syringe, Protractor
• Kinds of Penguins (Blue): Emperor, King, Macaroni, Chinstrap
• “E” Things (Purple): Commerce, Mail, Scooter, Signature