NYT Connections Hints and Answers for December 18, 2025

The New York Times’ Connections puzzle for December 18, 2025, marked Game No. 921, offering players another engaging test of word association and pattern recognition. As with every daily edition, solvers were tasked with grouping 16 words into four sets of four, with difficulty levels progressing from yellow (easiest) to purple (most challenging). Players are allowed up to four mistakes before the correct answers are revealed.

Released at midnight in each local time zone, today’s puzzle was generally considered moderately approachable, with many players completing it with minimal errors. However, the purple category proved to be the biggest stumbling block, requiring careful attention to phrasing rather than literal meanings.

Overview of Today’s Puzzle

The categories in today’s Connections spanned a mix of imaginative ideas, storytelling roles, creative supplies, and phrase-based word completions. None of the groupings relied on proper nouns or repeated words, instead drawing on synonyms, contextual associations, and compound phrases.

Several words—such as STAR and GLITTER—appeared deceptively versatile, leading some players toward incorrect early groupings before the correct patterns became clear.

Hints for Connections #921

General Clues

• All four categories are linked by ideas, not spelling patterns.
• Expect overlapping meanings that can easily mislead at first glance.
• Shuffling the board often helps reveal hidden connections.

Category-Specific Hints

• Yellow (Easiest): Expressions tied to imagination or wishful thinking
• Green: Central characters or leading figures in stories
• Blue: Common materials used in arts and crafts projects
• Purple (Hardest): Words that complete the phrase “Social ___”

One Helpful Word Per Category

Yellow: FANCY

Green: HERO

Blue: GLITTER

Purple: BUTTERFLY

Tips to Solve Faster

Start by identifying abstract or imaginative terms to lock in the yellow category. Literary or theatrical roles often reveal the green group. Visualising classroom art supplies can help with the blue category. Leave the purple set for last, as it depends on recognising a shared phrase rather than a direct meaning.

Using the in-game shuffle tool can make hidden patterns stand out, and submitting only confirmed groups helps preserve your allowed mistakes.

Today’s Connections Answers (Spoiler Alert)

Yellow – Bit of Wishful Thinking:

DAYDREAM, FANCY, FANTASY, ILLUSION

Green – Protagonist:

HERO, LEAD, PRINCIPAL, STAR

Blue – Component of an Arts and Crafts Project:

FELT, GLITTER, PIPE CLEANER, POMPOM

Purple – Social ___:

BUTTERFLY, MEDIA, SECURITY, WORKER

Yesterday’s Puzzle Recap (Game #920 – December 17)

Yellow: Human-powered watercraft — DUGOUT, KAYAK, RAFT, SHELL

Green: Flush — EVEN, FLAT, LEVEL, PLANE

Blue: Honda models — ACCORD, CIVIC, ODYSSEY, PILOT

Purple: Biblical figures plus starting letter — FLUKE, LABEL, MADAM, TRUTH

For deeper insights, players can review their performance using the NYT Connections Bot, which provides detailed breakdowns and optimal solving paths. A brand-new puzzle awaits tomorrow, bringing fresh wordplay and new challenges.