Today’s Connections puzzle can be quite the challenge depending on how you are looking at it. There are some words that feel like they might be too obvious, while others make you scratch your head as you wonder why these words are in the puzzle and what they could possibly have in common. It’s unfortunately a regular occurrence in these kinds of puzzles, and players could seize onto the wrong words for each category if they aren’t careful. With any luck, these hints and tricks will help you avoid doing that very thing.
The Strands puzzle from the NYT is a new take on the word search, and it can be quite nostalgic to play when you have the time. It is more challenging that the word searches you probably did in elementary school, but it is a nice way to spend a few minutes and see what you can find. Luckily, there is actually a reward for guessing wrong as long as you are putting real words together. Every third word you find that isn’t an answer will reward you with a hint for the real answers.
Today's Connections Category Hints
DECEMBER 14 #552
If you are in search of hints for today’s puzzle so that you can solve it on your own, you are in the right place. This puzzle has some tricky words and some words that play on spelling as well. There is also the category mentioned before that makes things seem too obvious that can mess with your mind. This can lead to a fair amount of confusion, but luckily we can help you sort that all out with the following hints:
- One category is about different types of something aquatic
- One category is about words used at the same kind of event
- One category is about something you use in different places around the world
- One category is about four words that can all come before a different word as a compound word or phrase - that word is something you might find on the dinner table
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If those hints are not quite enough, the full spoilers are yet to come. For now, check out the category names to give you a nudge in the right direction.
 | FISH |
 | WORDS IN AN AUCTION-ENDING PHRASE |
 | GLOBAL CURRENCIES |
 | WORDS BEFORE "CUP" |
Today's Connections Answers
DECEMBER 14 #552
Yellow Answers: Revealed & Explained
FLUKE | MULLET | SOLE | TANG |
This category should be the easiest, but multiple factors make it a little more difficult. For one, one of the “sol” words is here, SOLE in this case, which might mean you miss out on a guess. Additionally, TANG is close enough to a few different types of currency that it could trick you as well. There was also a historical dynasty named TANG which had its own currency, although the name is not the same. FLUKE and MULLET both can mean a few different things in context, so narrowing this one down might be difficult.
Green Answers: Revealed & Explained
GOING | ONCE | SOLD | TWICE |
These words will likely seem really familiar to you when you first read them, and they are maybe a little too obvious. I even said the whole phrase altogether but didn’t realize that it would actually be the answer. Sometimes the really obvious ones are the hardest ones to guess because you are expecting them to be something else. To me, this made it much trickier than it should have been. Sometimes the obvious choice to make is the right one, so give it a go if you are running low on guesses.
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Blue Answers: Revealed & Explained
POUND | REAL | SOL | YUAN |
This one might be a little easier depending on how well-traveled you are. I recognized POUND and REAL quite quickly, but recognizing the other two was a little harder. Eventually, I had to make a guess to get started on this puzzle and that’s where I ended up. I did make the mistake with TANG once, but luckily I got it right shortly after.
Purple Answers: Revealed & Explained
BUTTER | DIVA | SOLO | WORLD |
This one was quite tricky, and it is hard to get it without knowing what the category is. Normally these categories are phrases, but in this case, some of them are and some of them are compound words. This can make it a little harder, and these are words I would not necessarily associate with “cup” very often. That might, again, be my not caring about any kind of sports ball. It is always what gets me in these puzzles.
Other Games Like Connections
If you need some more puzzling time today, check out one of the puzzles in the box below.
Wordle (NYT) | Solve a random five-letter word by using color clues. Every Wordle answer can be found in our daily updated list. | Yes |
Name a country based only on its silhouette, and a few geographical hints. | Yes | |
Create a password in this ever-changing, not-so-simple game. You can find some helpful tips in our Password Game guide. | Yes | |
Try to solve a game of Wordle without any help. With each guess, the game reveals as little information as possible, even changing the word if need be. | Yes |
Released June 12, 2023
Developer(s) The New York Times Company
Publisher(s) The New York Times Company
ESRB e
English (US) ·