Spoiler warning: The hints below start gently; the full category names and answers appear farther down. This is the historical guide to Connections puzzle #924, published Sunday, December 21, 2025—not a guide to today’s current puzzle.
The 16 words in Connections #924
STRainer, ISSUE, AIR, PERIODICALS, SPOUT, FLOW, GUM, HANDLE, RESULT, EAVES, CIRCULATION, RAIN, STACKS, LID, EMERGE and REFERENCE.
Hints for each group
- Yellow: Short and stout; think of parts of a kitchen object.
- Blue: A verb meaning to come out or happen.
- Green: Places or services you might find in a library.
- Purple: Add the same word to the end of each item.
Full answers for December 21, 2025
Spoilers below. The four groups and their words are:
- Yellow — Features of a teapot: HANDLE, LID, SPOUT, STRAINER.
- Blue — ARISE: EMERGE, FLOW, ISSUE, RESULT.
- Green — Library sections: CIRCULATION, PERIODICALS, REFERENCE, STACKS.
- Purple — ___DROP: AIR, EAVES, GUM, RAIN. Together they make air drop, eavesdrop, gumdrop and raindrop.
Why the groupings work
Teapot features
HANDLE, LID, SPOUT and STRAINER name parts or components of a teapot. HANDLE and SPOUT may also bring to mind the children’s song “I’m a Little Teapot.”
#1 Best Overall
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ARISE
EMERGE, FLOW, ISSUE and RESULT connect to different senses of arising: something can emerge, flow or issue forth, or result from something else.
Library sections
CIRCULATION, PERIODICALS, REFERENCE and STACKS are library-related terms. The connection is domain vocabulary rather than a set of interchangeable synonyms.
Rank #2
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___DROP
Each word takes DROP after it: AIR DROP, EAVESDROP, GUMDROP and RAINDROP. The purple group relies on completing familiar compounds rather than finding a synonym.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A useful way to approach this puzzle
The four groups use different kinds of connections: object parts, related meanings, library vocabulary and compound-word completion. When several words seem to fit one obvious theme, check whether a word may belong to a different kind of connection instead; as Forbes contributor Erik Kain puts it, “First off, look for red herrings.”
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Rank #3
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- What You Get: Anker USB-C Hub (7-in-1), welcome guide, 18-month warranty, and our friendly customer service.
The answer set and word list were reported consistently by Forbes, TechRadar and Yahoo Tech. The official NYT puzzle page was not available for independent verification, so these answers are cross-checked secondary reporting rather than a direct NYT confirmation.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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