NYT Connections Hints December 21 Puzzle 924 Clues and Answers

The NYT Connections puzzle for December 21, 2025, puzzle number 924, challenged players with layered word associations and misleading overlaps. The daily word game from The New York Times asked solvers to correctly group 16 words into four themed categories.

This edition stood out for its abstract connections and wordplay-based themes. Many players reported difficulty separating literal meanings from idiomatic uses.

NYT Connections Hints December 21 Breakdown

The December 21 puzzle followed the standard Connections format. Players were required to sort words into four groups of four, each group sharing a hidden relationship.

The puzzle offered four color-coded groups. Yellow was the most straightforward. Purple was the most abstract and caused the most errors.

Here are the official hints provided for each group.

• Yellow group hint: Time for tea
• Green group hint: Shhhh!
• Blue group hint: Come out
• Purple group hint: Don’t let that fall

These clues were designed to nudge players without giving away direct answers. Many solvers found the purple clue especially vague.

NYT Connections Answers for December 21 Puzzle 924

Once the correct groupings were revealed, the logic behind each category became clearer. Each set relied on either physical objects, formal terms, verbs, or word pairings.

Yellow Group: Features of a teapot

This was the easiest category for most players. The words were common parts of a household item.

• Handle
• Lid
• Spout
• Strainer

Green Group: Library sections

This group required familiarity with how libraries organize materials. The words are used in institutional settings.

• Circulation
• Periodicals
• Reference
• Stacks

Blue Group: Arise

This category focused on verbs with similar meanings. The challenge was separating them from words that could also fit other contexts.

• Emerge
• Flow
• Issue
• Result

Purple Group: ____ drop

This was the trickiest set. Each word completes a common phrase when paired with the word “drop.”

• Air
• Eaves
• Gum
• Rain

Many players initially misgrouped these due to the lack of obvious shared meaning until the phrase structure became clear.

Why Puzzle 924 Confused So Many Players

Puzzle 924 relied heavily on secondary meanings and idiomatic expressions. Words like “issue” and “flow” created overlap across potential categories.

The purple group followed a recurring Connections pattern. Past puzzles have used fill-in-the-blank phrase logic, which often leads to mistakes.

The New York Times Games team has increasingly used these structures to raise difficulty. According to NYT Games commentary, this approach rewards players who think in phrases rather than single definitions.

Players who solved the yellow and green groups early had a better chance of narrowing down the remaining words.

NYT Connections hints December 21 reinforced how critical elimination strategy is for higher-difficulty puzzles.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What was the hardest group in NYT Connections puzzle 924?

The purple group caused the most difficulty. It required recognizing common phrases that end with the word “drop.”

Q2: Are NYT Connections puzzles getting harder?

Many players believe so. Recent puzzles rely more on wordplay and abstract relationships than direct definitions.

Q3: What is the best strategy for solving Connections?

Start with the most obvious category. Then use elimination to reduce overlap between remaining words.

Q4: Where can players review their Connections performance?

The New York Times offers a Connections Bot. It analyzes accuracy, mistakes, and overall solving trends.

Q5: When does the NYT Connections puzzle update daily?

The puzzle resets daily at midnight local time. Each edition includes a new set of 16 words.