Assuming you mean the latest completed December 31 puzzle, here are the hints and answers for Wednesday, December 31, 2025. Start with the gentle clues, then open the category hints or full answer key only if you need them.
Hints for December 31, 2025
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four. These clues get more revealing as you go:
- Yellow: Time to celebrate.
- Green: Don’t put your things here if you want to keep them.
- Blue: Think of a city tied to an early seat of government.
- Purple: Consider examples such as “bog standard” and “beck and call.”
Category hints
- Yellow: New Year’s Eve celebration.
- Green: Places where things disappear.
- Blue: Things associated with Philadelphia.
- Purple: Phrases that begin with words for bodies of water.
Full answers
Spoilers below.
Yellow — Happy New Year!
BALL DROP, CHAMPAGNE FLUTE, FIREWORKS, NOISEMAKER.
Green — Places where things disappear
BERMUDA TRIANGLE, BLACK HOLE, COUCH CUSHIONS, DRYER.
Blue — Associated with Philadelphia
BROTHERLY LOVE, CHEESESTEAK, LIBERTY BELL, ROCKY.
Purple — Starting with bodies of water
BAY LEAF, CHANNEL SURF, SEA BASS, SOUND BARRIER. The opening words—BAY, CHANNEL, SEA, and SOUND—are all bodies of water.
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Why the groups fit
The yellow set brings together New Year’s Eve imagery and celebration. The green set pairs two familiar sources of lost things—the couch and dryer—with the Bermuda Triangle and a black hole, both associated with things vanishing.
The Philadelphia group spans the city’s nickname, a cheesesteak, the Liberty Bell, and Rocky. The final set is wordplay: each phrase starts with a water-related word, rather than grouping the tiles by their full meanings.
Which December 31 puzzle is this?
The yearless title could refer to more than one board. This guide uses December 31, 2025; December 31, 2024 was a different puzzle. Contemporary guides agree on the 2025 categories and tiles, but disagree on its puzzle number, so the number is omitted.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where to play
Connections is available through the New York Times Games website or app. Access terms, including archive availability, can change; check the current NYT Games terms for details.
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