A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #178
hints & answers for December 6, 2023

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows December 6, 2023. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, N, R and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CLEF belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

FOUND ON SHEET MUSIC

Reveal all four words
  • CLEF
  • NOTE
  • REST
  • STAFF

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
Gentle hint

Look at the pictures on a horoscope chart.

Show one word

BULL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ZODIAC SYMBOLS

Reveal all four words
  • BULL
  • CRAB
  • SCALES
  • TWINS

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, C, I and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CAPITOL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

RECORD LABELS

Reveal all four words
  • CAPITOL
  • COLUMBIA
  • ISLAND
  • VIRGIN

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, G, L and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CAN belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ZODIAC SIGN BEGINNINGS

Reveal all four words
  • CAN
  • GEM
  • LIB
  • TAU
Show categories only
  • Yellow: FOUND ON SHEET MUSIC
  • Green: ZODIAC SYMBOLS
  • Blue: RECORD LABELS
  • Purple: ZODIAC SIGN BEGINNINGS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

FOUND ON SHEET MUSIC

CLEF · NOTE · REST · STAFF

Green

ZODIAC SYMBOLS

BULL · CRAB · SCALES · TWINS

Blue

RECORD LABELS

CAPITOL · COLUMBIA · ISLAND · VIRGIN

Purple

ZODIAC SIGN BEGINNINGS

CAN · GEM · LIB · TAU

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.