NYT Connections puzzle #560, published December 22, 2024, groups words around head slang, palindromes, police procedurals, and the first member of a comedy duo. Start with the spoiler-free nudges below; the complete groups appear after a warning.
Connections #560 word bank
The 16 words are: STATS, CROWN, ABBOTT, ELEMENTARY, NUN, KEY, DOME, ABBA, LAUREL, MONK, COCONUT, FRY, SKULL, BONES, KAYAK, and KOJAK.
Spoiler-free hints
Try each clue before looking at the category names or answers.
- A casual term for a body part.
- Read each word from either end.
- Shows about detectives or police investigations.
- The first name or surname in a comedy partnership.
Category names
Spoilers below: These are the four intended themes, without the word groups.
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- Yellow: Slang for head
- Green: Palindromes
- Blue: Police procedurals
- Purple: First in a comedy duo
Full answers for December 22
Full solution spoilers: The four groups are listed here.
- Yellow — SLANG FOR HEAD: COCONUT, CROWN, DOME, SKULL
- Green — PALINDROMES: ABBA, KAYAK, NUN, STATS
- Blue — POLICE PROCEDURALS: BONES, ELEMENTARY, KOJAK, MONK
- Purple — FIRST IN A COMEDY DUO: ABBOTT, FRY, KEY, LAUREL
Why the groups fit
Yellow: Slang for head
COCONUT, CROWN, DOME, and SKULL can each refer informally to a person’s head.
Green: Palindromes
ABBA, KAYAK, NUN, and STATS read the same forward and backward.
Blue: Police procedurals
BONES, ELEMENTARY, KOJAK, and MONK are television series centered on police work or investigations.
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Purple: First in a comedy duo
ABBOTT, FRY, KEY, and LAUREL are the first names or surnames in comedy pairings: Abbott and Costello, Fry and Laurie, Key and Peele, and Laurel and Hardy.
How the puzzle works
Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four based on a shared link. The groups use color-coded difficulty levels, and players can make up to four mistakes. If you want to preserve the challenge, use the hints in order and stop before opening the solution section.
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Answer check and date
This is the December 22, 2024 edition, game #560—not a later puzzle published on December 22 in another year. The listed groupings are cross-checked against multiple puzzle guides; they are not independently confirmed against an NYT archive. ABBOTT is spelled with two final Ts in the puzzle answer.
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