NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 16, 2025, #920

Ah, Tuesday! The day when the week starts to hit its stride, like a runner finding their pace on a crisp morning jog. Speaking of crisp, the weather seems to be in on the act today, with a chilly 30 degrees but clear skies inviting us to bundle up and embrace the day.

As I was savoring my morning coffee today, I couldn't help but notice a silent protest brewing in my kitchen. The laundry and dishes seemed to have formed an alliance, staging a pile-up rebellion that I might need to address before it gains momentum. One stray sock even dared to inch its way toward the living room, a defiant soldier in the battle of household chores.

When tackling today's "Connections" puzzle, keep an eye out for those clever color tiers that might lead you down unexpected paths. Remember, sometimes the key to unlocking the puzzle lies in scanning for loose synonyms or watching out for those sneaky cross-category decoys. And here's a question for you: Can you spot the subtle threads connecting seemingly unrelated words?

So, dear solver, are you ready to dive into the delightful maze of wordplay and connections? Whether you need a hint or want to jump right in, the puzzle awaits your clever touch. Let's tease those brain cells and see where the colorful journey takes us today!

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