NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 20, 2025, #923

Happy Saturday, fellow solvers! As I sipped my steaming latte at a cozy new café this morning, I couldn't help but think about the delightful layers of our "Connections" puzzle. Just like a perfectly crafted pastry, each clue adds its own unique flavor to the mix.

Today's puzzle offers a sunny challenge with its mix of yellow and green-tier clues. Remember to scan for loose synonyms and keep an eye out for those tricky cross-category decoys. It's all about finding the sweet spot where the clues intersect and reveal their connections.

So, as you cozy up with your favorite warm beverage or maybe a flaky croissant, why not give today's puzzle a go? Uncover those connections, tease out the links, and enjoy the satisfying "aha" moments along the way. Need a hint or just want to jump in and play? The puzzle awaits, so let's get cracking!

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