NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 20, 2025, #924

Happy Saturday, fellow puzzle enthusiasts! Did you start your day with a breakfast blunder like mine? Burnt toast and an empty milk carton – a recipe for disaster, or perhaps a sign that my brain is already in weekend mode.

As we cozy up indoors on this chilly 37-degree morning, it's the perfect time to dive into today's Connections challenge. With its colorful tiers and interconnected themes, it's like unravelling a puzzle within a puzzle. Scan for those sneaky synonyms and keep an eye out for clever cross-category connections.

Just like salvaging a breakfast mishap, sometimes the most satisfying solutions come from unexpected places. So why not give it a try? Let those cogs in your brain turn and unravel the mystery of today's Connections puzzle. Need a hint or just want to dive in headfirst? The choice is yours!

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