NYT Connections puzzle #925 was released on Monday, December 22, 2025. Its four groups are INFLUX, SUBSEQUENT, KINDS OF CARDS, and COLORS MINUS THEIR LAST LETTER. This is the 2025 puzzle; December 22, 2024 was a different game, numbered #560.
Want to keep solving? Start with the spoiler-light hints below and stop before the answer sections. The grid and staged clues are corroborated by Forbes, Parade, and DocumentaryTube.
Spoiler-light hints for Connections #925
These clues move from broad ideas to nearly complete reveals. Try each level before moving on.
Broad clues
- One group describes a flood, burst, or sudden increase.
- One group points to what happens after now.
- Tarot is one example of a type in the third group.
- Crayola-style color names are present, but their final letters have been changed.
Stronger nudges
- Look for words that can describe a sudden arrival or increase.
- Several entries can follow the same idea of “later.”
- Complete each damaged color by restoring one final letter.
- For the card group, put the same word after each answer.
One representative answer per group
- RASH
- FOLLOWING
- BUSINESS
- CYA
The four answers and categories
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | INFLUX | RASH, RUSH, SURGE, WAVE |
| Green | SUBSEQUENT | COMING, FOLLOWING, FUTURE, LATER |
| Blue | KINDS OF CARDS | BUSINESS, GREETING, MEMBERSHIP, PLAYING |
| Purple | COLORS MINUS THEIR LAST LETTER | BROW, CYA, PIN, WHIT |
Why the yellow group is INFLUX
RASH, RUSH, SURGE, and WAVE can all describe a sudden increase or arrival. “A rush of customers,” “a surge in demand,” and “a wave of visitors” are direct examples. RASH is the trap: here it means “a rash of events,” or many similar events occurring in a short period, not a skin irritation.
#1 Best Overall
Why the green group is SUBSEQUENT
COMING, FOLLOWING, FUTURE, and LATER all refer to a time or event that comes afterward. COMING may initially suggest an incoming rush, which helps disguise its intended temporal meaning, but the four words fit the “after now” sense together.
Why the blue group is KINDS OF CARDS
Add CARD to each word:
- business card
- greeting card
- membership card
- playing card
The shared compound-word construction identifies the category. “Tarot” is a useful hint toward cards without being one of the four entries.
Rank #2
Why the purple group removes the last letter
Each entry becomes a color when its final letter is restored:
- BROW → brown
- CYA → cyan
- PIN → pink
- WHIT → white
The missing letters are N, N, K, and E respectively. The unusual truncations make this the most visually deceptive group until the pattern appears.
Rank #3
What made #925 tricky
The grid uses several plausible overlaps. COMING can sound like an arrival and therefore tempt you toward INFLUX, while RASH has a much more familiar medical meaning. Solvers also need to switch between three different mechanisms: shared definitions, compound words, and letter manipulation. Recognizing those mechanisms is more useful than treating any one group as inherently difficult.
No reliable solve-rate, percentage, or original difficulty statistic was established in the cited coverage, so a numerical difficulty ranking would be misleading. Individual difficulty will depend on which meanings and word patterns you notice first.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you replay Connections #925?
Because this is an archived daily puzzle, replay availability depends on the current New York Times Games and archive terms. DocumentaryTube reports that full archive access has required an All Access or Games subscription, but subscription features and eligibility can change; check the current NYT Help Center before relying on that detail.
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