NYT Connections Answers: The New York Times daily word game, Connections, dropped its puzzle for Monday, December 22, and it turned out to be a clever one. Players once again had to sort 16 words into four hidden groups. At first glance, many of the words looked simple and familiar. But once you started grouping them, things got tricky.
This is what makes Connections so fun. Just like Wordle, it resets every day and keeps players coming back for more. If today’s puzzle confused you or made you second-guess your choices, here is a clear and simple breakdown with hints and the final answer.
What Is Connections & How Do You Play?
Connections is a daily word puzzle where players must find links between words. You are given 16 words on the screen. Your job is to divide them into four groups of four words each. Every group has one common idea or theme.
The hard part is that many words look like they belong together, but only one grouping is correct. Some words are placed on purpose to confuse you. These are called red herrings.
For example, words might look related because they sound alike or feel similar, but the real link could be something deeper. You only get four mistakes. On your fourth wrong try, the game ends and the answers show up automatically.
Each group also has a colour that shows how hard it is to find:
- Yellow is the easiest
- Green is easy
- Blue is medium
- Purple is the hardest
This mix of simple rules and tricky thinking is why many players love starting or ending their day with Connections.
Hints & Full Solution To NYT Connections (December 22)
Here are the official hints for today’s puzzle:
- Yellow: These words describe “arriving in high numbers”.
- Green: Next!
- Blue: See any cards?
- Purple: Add something.
Extra hints:
- Only two themes contain four-letter words.
- “Surge” and “Coming” are in different groups.
If you needed more help, here was one word from each group:
- Yellow: Wave
- Green: Coming
- Blue: Membership
- Purple: Brow
The four Connections groups for today were:
- Yellow: Influx
- Green: Subsequent
- Blue: Kinds Of Cards
- Purple: Colours Minus Last Letter
Full Answer For Monday, December 22
- Yellow (Influx): Rash, Rush, Surge, Wave
- Green (Subsequent): Coming, Following, Future, Later
- Blue (Kinds Of Cards): Business, Greeting, Membership, Playing
- Purple (Colours Minus Last Letter): Brow, Cya, Pin, Whit
This puzzle played with everyday words in smart ways. The yellow group was easy once you thought about things arriving fast and in large numbers. The green group worked well once you focused on time and what comes next.
The blue card group was simple but easy to overlook. The purple group was the trickiest, as it needed you to spot colour words with their last letter removed. Overall, a fun and balanced puzzle.