NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 16, 2025, #919

Ah, Tuesday, the overlooked middle child of the weekdays. Not as exciting as Friday, not as dreaded as Monday. It's the dependable friend who shows up with coffee when you need it most. Speaking of coffee, I could use a strong cup after my dog decided to turn our morning walk into a chaotic squirrel chase through a muddy obstacle course.

Speaking of chaos, have you tried today's "Connections" puzzle yet? It's a colorful web of word associations that will test your mental agility. Remember, when untangling the threads of clues, keep an eye out for those sneaky decoys hiding in different color tiers. Scan for loose synonyms and watch out for those cross-category curveballs!

With each connection you make, you'll feel a satisfying click, like finding the missing puzzle piece that completes the picture. So, why not give it a go? Unleash your inner wordsmith and see where the trail of connections leads you today. Need hints or just want to jump in? The puzzle awaits!

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