NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 22, 2025, #925

Happy Monday, puzzlers! It's a brand new week, filled with endless possibilities and, of course, our beloved Connections puzzle to kick things off. Today, I found myself in a classic case of procrastination guilt turning into a burst of focus. As I sipped my morning coffee, watching the sun peek through the clouds, I couldn't resist tackling a few overdue tasks before diving into the day's challenges.

Speaking of challenges, have you ever noticed how certain puzzles in Connections seem to lead you down a rabbit hole? As you navigate through the color tiers, keep an eye out for those tricky decoy words that might throw you off course. Scan for loose synonyms and don't be afraid to think outside the box – or should I say, puzzle grid?

So, are you ready to exercise those mental muscles and make some delightful word connections today? Whether you're a seasoned solver or a newbie looking for a brain teaser, this puzzle has something for everyone. So go ahead, give it a shot, and don't hesitate to ask for hints if you need a nudge in the right direction. 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