Yellow group
Straightforward
Gentle hint
A trip below the waterline may help.
Show one word
FLUKE belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
FISH
Reveal all four words
- FLUKE
- MULLET
- SOLE
- TANG
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #552
hints & answers for December 14, 2024
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#552
This reference always shows December 14, 2024. 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.
1/4
Green group
A little trickier
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with G, O, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
GOING belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
WORDS IN AN AUCTION-ENDING PHRASE
Reveal all four words
- GOING
- ONCE
- SOLD
- TWICE
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with P, R, S and Y. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
POUND belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
GLOBAL CURRENCIES
Reveal all four words
- POUND
- REAL
- SOL
- YUAN
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with B, D, S and W. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
BUTTER belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
WORDS BEFORE “CUP”
Reveal all four words
- BUTTER
- DIVA
- SOLO
- WORLD
Show categories only
- Yellow: FISH
- Green: WORDS IN AN AUCTION-ENDING PHRASE
- Blue: GLOBAL CURRENCIES
- Purple: WORDS BEFORE “CUP”
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
FISH
FLUKE · MULLET · SOLE · TANG
Green
WORDS IN AN AUCTION-ENDING PHRASE
GOING · ONCE · SOLD · TWICE
Blue
GLOBAL CURRENCIES
POUND · REAL · SOL · YUAN
Purple
WORDS BEFORE “CUP”
BUTTER · DIVA · SOLO · WORLD
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.
Continue from this date
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.