NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 19, 2025, #922

Happy Friday, puzzle pals! Hope you're waltzing into the weekend with a skip in your step and a gleam in your eye. Speaking of gleams, my lunch leftovers from Monday have taken on a rather *shiny* appearance in the office fridge – let's just say they're now in a color tier that's definitely not on the menu.

As we navigate today's Connections puzzle, keep your wits about you and remember to scan for those clever synonyms hiding in plain sight. It's a game of mental hopscotch, where every leap from one clue to another brings you closer to that "aha!" moment. And watch out for the decoys lurking in different categories – they're the sneaky ninjas of the puzzle world, ready to pounce when you least expect it.

With the misty weather outside setting the scene for some cozy puzzling indoors, why not grab a cup of something warm, settle in, and let the brain teasers whisk you away to a realm of logic and deduction? So, ready to unravel the tangled web of words and connections? Dive in, connect the dots, and let's crack this puzzle wide open! Need a nudge or a hint? Just say the word!

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