A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #914
hints & answers for December 11, 2025

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 11, 2025. 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 G, G, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

GNOME belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS SEEN IN A YARD

Reveal all four words
  • GNOME
  • GRILL
  • SHED
  • SPRINKLER

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
Gentle hint

The spelling can be rearranged without adding anything.

Show one word

ARES belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ANAGRAMS

Reveal all four words
  • ARES
  • EARS
  • SEAR
  • SERA

The entries use the same letters in different orders.

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
Gentle hint

Say these aloud and listen for the alphabet.

Show one word

ARE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

LETTER HOMOPHONES

Reveal all four words
  • ARE
  • ELLE
  • QUE
  • QUEUE

Each entry sounds like the name of a letter.

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
Wordplay hint

Try putting the same beginning before each entry.

Show one word

BOWL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DUST ___

Reveal all four words
  • BOWL
  • BUNNY
  • DEVIL
  • JACKET

Each entry comes after "DUST" to form a word, expression or name: BOWL → DUST BOWL; BUNNY → DUST BUNNY; DEVIL → DUST DEVIL; JACKET → DUST JACKET.

Show categories only
  • Yellow: THINGS SEEN IN A YARD
  • Green: ANAGRAMS
  • Blue: LETTER HOMOPHONES
  • Purple: DUST ___

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

THINGS SEEN IN A YARD

GNOME · GRILL · SHED · SPRINKLER

Green

ANAGRAMS

ARES · EARS · SEAR · SERA

Blue

LETTER HOMOPHONES

ARE · ELLE · QUE · QUEUE

Purple

DUST ___

BOWL · BUNNY · DEVIL · JACKET

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.