NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 21, 2025, #924

Happy Sunday, puzzle pals! As I sat down with my coffee this morning, I found myself chuckling at an auto-correct mishap that turned "puzzle" into "puzzle-saurus." A fitting typo for today's brain-bending journey through our colorful Connections grid!

Ah, Sundays—a perfect excuse to cozy up with some wordplay while the sun dances outside. Speaking of color tiers, keep your eyes peeled for those sneaky yellow and green clues hiding among the blues and purples. And remember, when in doubt, scan for loose synonyms or watch out for cross-category decoys to crack those connections!

As you tackle today's puzzle, I wonder: Do you ever feel like a detective deciphering clues in a quirky word-filled mystery? Embrace that sleuthing spirit, and let's dive in together! Whether you're a seasoned solver or a newbie to the game, there's always a place for you in our puzzling community.

So, dear solvers, ready to unravel the tangled web of words and uncover those delightful connections? Don't be shy—share your hints, ponderings, or aha moments below. Let's turn this solo solving session into a lively group adventure!

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
🟨 easy
Reveal Hint

Parts of a whole

Reveal Answer

FEATURES OF A TEAPOT

  • HANDLE
  • LID
  • SPOUT
  • STRAINER
🟩 medium
Reveal Hint

Different areas for books

Reveal Answer

LIBRARY SECTIONS

  • CIRCULATION
  • PERIODICALS
  • REFERENCE
  • STACKS
🟦 hard
Reveal Hint

Come to be

Reveal Answer

ARISE

  • EMERGE
  • FLOW
  • ISSUE
  • RESULT
🟪 tricky
Reveal Hint

Falls from above

Reveal Answer

___DROP

  • AIR
  • EAVES
  • GUM
  • RAIN