Get NYT Connections Hints for February 23, 2025. Find hints and solutions for puzzle #623, including word connections and hidden categories.
As a fellow word puzzle enthusiast, I've designed these hints to be progressive to preserve your enjoyment of the game. Please reveal them in order, starting from the top. While official hints and answers are available at the bottom, I strongly encourage you to think through each connection yourself before checking them.
TEA: Tea leaves spend their whole lives preparing for one perfect moment in hot water. Humans could learn from that.
Rub together
SCRAPE: When you scrape the bottom of a pan, you're really just giving it an unwanted exfoliation treatment.
Ways to preserve food
SYRUP: Trees cry sweet tears and we call it syrup. Who's really being tapped here?
Breakfast condiments
FREEZE: Ice cream doesn't get brain freeze from us. We get brain freeze from ice cream. Who's really in control?
Proverbial things that are spilled
⚠️ Spoiler Warning!
We strongly recommend trying to solve the puzzle yourself first! Looking at the answers directly will take away the joy and satisfaction of discovering the connections on your own. If you've already given it your best shot and still want to see the solution, you can continue scrolling down - the answers are below the image.

Hint: Rub together
Hint: Ways to preserve food
Hint: Breakfast condiments
Hint: Proverbial things that are spilled