NYT Connections Hints for Dec. 21 Puzzle 924 With Full Answers

NYT Connections hints for December 21 help players solve Puzzle #924, one of the tougher recent editions of the popular New York Times word game. The puzzle was released on Sunday, December 21, 2025, and challenged players to correctly group 16 words into four connected categories.

The New York Times Connections game asks players to find hidden relationships between words under time pressure. Puzzle #924 stood out due to subtle word meanings and overlapping associations that made incorrect groupings easy.

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Puzzle 924

The NYT Connections hints for December 21 were structured from easiest to hardest, following the game’s standard color ranking. Yellow is the most straightforward group, while purple is designed to be the trickiest.

The yellow group hint was “Time for tea.” This clue pointed players toward physical parts associated with making tea. The correct answers in this group were handle, lid, spout, and strainer. Each word describes a common feature found on a traditional teapot.

The green group hint was “Shhhh!” This suggested a quiet or study-focused setting. The correct group was library sections. The four correct answers were circulation, periodicals, reference, and stacks. These are standard divisions found in most academic and public libraries.

The blue group hint was “Come out.” This group relied on verbs that share a similar meaning. The correct category was arise. The four answers were emerge, flow, issue, and result. Each word can describe something that comes into existence or becomes apparent.

The purple group hint was “Don’t let that fall!” This was the most abstract category in the puzzle. The correct theme was words that can precede “drop.” The four correct answers were air, eaves, gum, and rain. Each forms a common phrase when paired with the word “drop.”

Why Puzzle 924 Challenged Many Players

NYT Connections Puzzle #924 was challenging because several words appeared to fit multiple themes. For example, words like “flow” and “issue” can belong to different semantic categories depending on context.

The purple group also caused difficulty because it required players to think in terms of compound phrases rather than direct definitions. This type of wordplay is common in higher-difficulty Connections puzzles and often leads to late-game mistakes.

The New York Times has confirmed that Connections is intentionally designed to reward careful reading and flexible thinking. According to coverage by CNET, many players rely on solving yellow and green first to reduce confusion later in the puzzle.

Players who struggled with Puzzle #924 were not alone. Online discussion reflected that even experienced players found the final grouping non-obvious until the remaining words forced the correct solution.

NYT Connections hints remain one of the most searched daily puzzle guides, especially on challenging days like December 21. Puzzle #924 reinforced why careful grouping and patience are essential to success.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

Q1: What were the NYT Connections hints for Dec. 21?

The hints progressed from “Time for tea” to “Don’t let that fall!” They guided players toward teapots, libraries, verbs meaning arise, and compound phrases ending with “drop.”

Q2: What was the hardest group in NYT Connections #924?

The purple group was the hardest. It required identifying words that form common phrases when paired with “drop.”

Q3: Who writes the NYT Connections daily hints?

The December 21 hints and analysis were published by Gael Cooper. The coverage appeared through CNET’s daily puzzle reporting.

Q4: How does Connections rank difficulty?

The game ranks groups by color. Yellow is easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple as the most difficult.

Q5: Where can players review past NYT Connections puzzles?

Players can review past puzzles and performance through The New York Times Games section, which includes tracking tools and analysis.