The NYT Connections puzzle sorts 16 words into four groups of four. On 4 December 2025 the grid balanced straightforward physical descriptions with everyday verbs and objects that feel tactile and familiar. Below you’ll find gentle hints for each group, then the full answers grouped by category.

NYT Connections Puzzle Overview: 4 December 2025

Today’s grid leaned on concrete, image-friendly language — bodily terms and common actions — plus a set of items tied to building or assembling. Solvers who noticed the semantic families early could clear whole groups in quick succession.

NYT Connections Hints: 4 December 2025

Category 1:
  • Actions you do when you want to be very close to someone.
  • A phrase meaning to pull someone toward you.
  • A gentle face-to-face, affectionate gesture.
  • A casual term for sharing a cozy eating position.
Category 2:
  • A slangy verb for drinking something quickly.
  • Informal phrase used for downing a drink in one go.
  • A rowdy way to describe emptying a glass fast.
  • A coarse term often used for consuming liquids in excess.
Category 3:
  • Things that commonly come with assembly instructions.
  • A construction toy made of interlocking bricks.
  • A scale or replica you put together piece by piece.
  • An activity that involves fitting interlocking pieces into a whole.
Category 4:
  • A bird’s projecting facial feature used for pecking.
  • The covering or guard around a mammal’s nose or mouth.
  • The elongated, flexible nose of certain large animals.
  • A technical term for a projecting mouthpart on some animals.

NYT Connections Answers: 4 December 2025

Here are the answers, grouped by category.

Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Category 4:

Conclusion & Quick Strategy Tip

Today’s puzzle was satisfyingly literal — clear semantic clusters made it approachable, though some overlapping language could mislead. Quick strategy tip: scan for groups that share register (formal vs. slang) and concrete imagery first, then slot ambiguous words around them.