A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #564
hints & answers for December 26, 2024

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 26, 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.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, A, L and R. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ABOUT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

APPROXIMATELY

Reveal all four words
  • ABOUT
  • AROUND
  • LIKE
  • ROUGHLY

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
Gentle hint

Imagine looking up through a canopy.

Show one word

ELDER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TREES

Reveal all four words
  • ELDER
  • PALM
  • PINE
  • SPRUCE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with H, H, R and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

HANDSOME belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SIZABLE, AS AN AMOUNT

Reveal all four words
  • HANDSOME
  • HEALTHY
  • RESPECTABLE
  • TIDY

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, A, M and O. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ALA belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

U.S. STATE ABBREVIATIONS, PER AP STYLE GUIDE

Reveal all four words
  • ALA
  • ARK
  • MISS
  • ORE
Show categories only
  • Yellow: APPROXIMATELY
  • Green: TREES
  • Blue: SIZABLE, AS AN AMOUNT
  • Purple: U.S. STATE ABBREVIATIONS, PER AP STYLE GUIDE

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

APPROXIMATELY

ABOUT · AROUND · LIKE · ROUGHLY

Green

TREES

ELDER · PALM · PINE · SPRUCE

Blue

SIZABLE, AS AN AMOUNT

HANDSOME · HEALTHY · RESPECTABLE · TIDY

Purple

U.S. STATE ABBREVIATIONS, PER AP STYLE GUIDE

ALA · ARK · MISS · ORE

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.