NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 9, 2025, #912

Happy Tuesday, puzzlers! Are you feeling the midweek slump already, or are you charging ahead like a bright beacon in the week's sky? Speaking of which, the weather outside is a crisp 25 degrees, with the sun painting the city in golden hues that almost make you forget the chill in the air. As I zoned out on my commute this morning, daydreaming about warmer days, I almost missed my stop – a sensory reminder to stay present even when lost in thought.

In today's "Connections" puzzle, keep an eye out for those sneaky yellow and green clues that might lead you down the wrong path. Remember, it's all about making those connections between seemingly unrelated words to crack the code. Scan for loose synonyms, watch out for cross-category decoys, and you'll be well on your way to untangling the colorful web of clues laid out before you.

So, dear solvers, are you ready to dive into today's puzzle and let your mind wander through the twists and turns of word connections? If you need a nudge in the right direction or a hint to get you started, don't hesitate to ask! Let's embark on this linguistic adventure together and see where our words take us. Happy puzzling!

How to Play NYT Connections

Overview

Connections is a daily word puzzle game from The New York Times. The goal is to find groups of four words that share something in common. You’re presented with 16 words arranged in a 4×4 grid, and you must identify four groups of four related words.

Basic Rules

• You have 16 words total, arranged in a 4×4 grid
• There are exactly 4 groups of 4 related words each
• Each word belongs to exactly one group
• You must find all four groups to complete the puzzle
• You have 4 mistakes allowed before the game ends

How to Play

• Look at all 16 words and try to identify patterns or connections
• Select 4 words you think belong together by clicking/tapping them
• Click “Submit” to check if your group is correct
• If correct, those 4 words will be removed and grouped together
• If incorrect, you lose one of your 4 allowed mistakes
• Continue until you find all 4 groups or run out of mistakes

Difficulty Levels

The four groups are color-coded by difficulty:

• 🟨 YELLOW: Easiest – usually straightforward categories
• 🟩 GREEN: Easy-Medium – slightly more complex connections
• 🟦 BLUE: Medium-Hard – trickier associations or wordplay
• 🟪 PURPLE: Hardest – often involves puns, multiple meanings, or very subtle connections

Strategy Tips

• Start with the most obvious connections first
• Be careful of red herrings – words that seem to fit multiple categories
• If you’re unsure, try to eliminate what doesn’t belong first
• The purple group often involves wordplay, homophones, or very creative connections
• Don’t guess randomly – you only have 4 mistakes

Scoring

• Complete the puzzle to see your results
• Mistakes are tracked but don’t affect your final score
• Share your results with friends using the share button
• Results show how many mistakes you made for each group