The NYT Connections puzzle tasks players with sorting 16 words into four connected groups of four. On 21 December 2025, the grid leaned on familiar nouns and verbs, with a mix of literal meanings and phrase-based logic. Some groupings felt obvious early, while others required careful rethinking. Below, you’ll find spoiler-free hints first, followed by the full solutions.

NYT Connections puzzle overview: 21 December 2025

Today’s grid felt balanced but sneaky. A couple of categories jumped out quickly thanks to clear definitions, while the trickiest group relied on completing a shared phrase. Overall, it rewarded solvers who tested multiple interpretations before locking anything in.

NYT Connections hints: 21 December 2025

Category 1:
  • Think about something coming into being
  • Often used for ideas or movements
  • Can describe beginnings or outcomes
  • Verbs with a sense of appearing
Category 2:
  • Physical parts of a common household item
  • Found together in one object
  • Related to serving a hot drink
  • Mostly functional components
Category 3:
  • Places or divisions inside a building
  • Associated with books and research
  • You might see signs for these
  • Common in schools and universities
Category 4:
  • All pair with the same word
  • Forms familiar compound terms
  • Often linked to water or motion
  • The shared word comes after each

NYT Connections answers: 21 December 2025

Here are the answers, grouped by category.

Category 1: arise
Category 2: features of a teapot
Category 3: library sections
Category 4: ___ drop

Conclusion & quick strategy tip

The 21 December 2025 Connections puzzle was approachable but clever, especially with its clean mix of concrete and abstract groupings. Quick strategy tip: when stuck, look for words that complete the same phrase—you’ll often uncover the final category.