NYT Connections #561 was the Monday, December 23, 2024 puzzle. Its groups are homophones, necklines, ways to express 1,000, and words that follow “Super.” Spoilers and the complete category breakdown follow.
Spoiler warning: The complete solution to NYT Connections #561 appears below. This is the puzzle from Monday, December 23, 2024—not the different puzzle published on December 23, 2025, which was #926.
The four groups are homophones, necklines, ways to express 1,000, and words that follow “Super”.
Hints for Connections #561
If you want to keep solving without seeing the answers, use these hints from least specific to most specific:
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- Yellow: These four entries are pronounced alike, despite their different spellings and meanings.
- Green: These are types of clothing necklines or neck openings.
- Blue: Each entry can represent the number 1,000 in a different way.
- Purple: Put “Super” before each word or symbol to make a familiar expression.
NYT Connections #561 answers for December 23, 2024
| Category | Answers |
|---|---|
| Homophones | EWE, U, YOU, YEW |
| Necklines | BOAT, CREW, SCOOP, V |
| Ways to express 1,000 | GRAND, K, M, THOU |
| SUPER ___ | 8, BOWL, GLUE, TUESDAY |
Yellow: Homophones
EWE, U, YOU, YEW
All four entries are pronounced like “you.” Their meanings and spellings are different:
- EWE is an adult female sheep.
- U is the name of the letter U.
- YOU is the second-person pronoun.
- YEW is a type of evergreen tree.
This group is based entirely on sound, not on spelling. It is the most direct set in the grid once you notice the three unusual-looking alternatives to YOU.
Green: Necklines
BOAT, CREW, SCOOP, V
Each word describes a familiar garment neckline:
- BOAT makes a boat neck or boat neckline.
- CREW makes a crew neck.
- SCOOP makes a scoop neck.
- V makes a V-neck.
The single-letter V is the potential trap here. It is not being used as a Roman numeral in this group; it refers to the shape of the opening in a V-neck garment.
Rank #2
Blue: Ways to express 1,000
GRAND, K, M, THOU
This group mixes everyday slang, abbreviations, Roman numerals, and an older term:
- GRAND can mean 1,000, especially when referring to money. For example, “five grand” means $5,000.
- K is a common shorthand for thousand, as in 10K for 10,000.
- M is the Roman numeral for 1,000.
- THOU is an older or literary term for one thousand.
THOU is likely to be the least familiar entry. In this puzzle it does not mean the archaic pronoun “you”; it is being used in the older numerical sense of “one thousand.” The presence of M can also create a false connection with words associated with “Super,” but it belongs here because of its Roman-numeral meaning.
Purple: Words that follow “Super”
8, BOWL, GLUE, TUESDAY
Precede each entry with Super:
- Super 8 is a film format.
- The Super Bowl is the championship game of the NFL season.
- Super glue is a fast-setting adhesive.
- Super Tuesday is a major U.S. presidential primary-election date involving multiple states.
This is a phrase-completion category rather than a group based on a shared literal meaning. The number 8 is particularly easy to overlook because it is the only numerical symbol in the group.
Rank #3
The complete Connections #561 grid
The 16 entries were:
BOAT, U, BOWL, M, THOU, CREW, V, YOU, 8, EWE, SCOOP, GLUE, TUESDAY, K, GRAND, YEW
One efficient solving route is:
- Spot EWE, U, YOU, YEW as four pronunciations of “you.”
- Remove those and identify the clothing terms BOAT, CREW, SCOOP, V.
- Among the remaining entries, group GRAND, K, M, THOU as forms of 1,000.
- The last four—8, BOWL, GLUE, TUESDAY—all follow “Super.”
The main traps are the overlapping meanings of M, V, and U, plus the unfamiliar numerical use of THOU. As with every Connections board, a plausible category is not enough: the intended group must use all four entries without leaving a stronger alternative for one of them.
Recommended Free Tools
Was Connections #561 difficult?
Contemporary answer guides described this puzzle as hard, while another guide gave it a 3-out-of-5 difficulty assessment. Those are editorial impressions rather than an official New York Times difficulty score. The board is challenging mainly because it combines several kinds of wordplay: homophones, fashion terminology, numerical notation, and phrase completion.
Why the date matters
Search results can mix up this puzzle with the game published on December 23, 2025. The requested puzzle is #561 from December 23, 2024. The later December 23 puzzle was #926 and had different answers. Including the year is important when looking up an archived Connections puzzle because the calendar date repeats every year.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Want more puzzles?
If you enjoy the four-groups-of-four format away from a screen, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! is a physical NYT Games puzzle book that includes Connections-style challenges. It is a general collection for additional practice, not a claim that it contains the December 23, 2024 puzzle specifically. Check the product listing and availability for your region before buying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the answers to Connections #561?
The answers were EWE, U, YOU, YEW; BOAT, CREW, SCOOP, V; GRAND, K, M, THOU; and 8, BOWL, GLUE, TUESDAY.
Which date does Connections #561 correspond to?
Connections #561 was published on Monday, December 23, 2024. It is not the December 23, 2025 puzzle, which was #926.
Best Value
What does THOU mean in the 1,000 category?
In this puzzle, THOU is an older or literary term for one thousand. It is distinct from the archaic pronoun “thou.”
The Bottom Line
Connections #561, December 23, 2024: Homophones—EWE, U, YOU, YEW; necklines—BOAT, CREW, SCOOP, V; ways to express 1,000—GRAND, K, M, THOU; “Super ___”—8, BOWL, GLUE, TUESDAY.
Quick Recap
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