NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 26, 2025, #929

Happy Friday, puzzlers! Hope you're all feeling bright and sunny today, unlike the weather outside. As I sipped my morning coffee, I couldn't help but notice the thick fog rolling in, wrapping the trees in a hazy embrace. It's like nature decided to mix a little mystery into the day, just to keep things interesting.

Speaking of mysteries, have you dived into today's "Connections" puzzle yet? Remember to keep an eye out for those sneaky yellow and blue clues that might lead you down the wrong path. Scan for those loose synonyms and watch out for the clever cross-category decoys that love to trip you up.

As I gazed out my window at the shifting colors of the leaves in the drizzle, I couldn't help but think about the colorful tiers of today's puzzle. It's like solving a puzzle is akin to admiring the beauty of changing seasons, each layer revealing a different aspect of the whole picture. So why not take a break from the mundane and challenge your mind with some delightful wordplay?

So, what are you waiting for? Dive into today's puzzle and let those connections flow. If you need hints or just want to jump in and play, don't hesitate to reach out. Let's unravel some mysteries together!

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