Issue #550 Thu 12 Dec
NYT Connections Hints & Answer — December 12, 2024
A steady day that tests your ear for language. The grid balances literal associations with a few phonetic detours that keep the pace measured.
yellow group 7 hints
Yellow group hints
A warm mug on a desk, a small plastic peg on a putting green, or a single syllable sung in a scale.
Linguistic homophones
Phonetic equivalence
Members are 3–17 letters; first letters T.
THINGS THAT SOUND LIKE "T"
One is TEA.
TEA · TEE (GOLF) · TEE (SHIRT) · TI (MUSICAL NOTE)
green group 7 hints
Green group hints
The bite of a metal fastener, the rough edge of a tool, or the grit of a stiff hair-grooming tool.
Physical hardware and tools
Functional morphological features
Members are 3–6 letters; first letters C, G, S, Z.
OBJECTS WITH TEETH
One is COMB.
COMB · GEAR · SAW · ZIPPER
blue group 7 hints
Blue group hints
You stub your toe on the coffee table and reach for a word that is not quite a curse.
Polite interjections
Euphemistic substitutes
Members are 4–5 letters; first letters F, G, N, R.
MILD OATHS
One is FUDGE.
FUDGE · GEEZ · NUTS · RATS
violet group 7 hints
Violet group hints
The ground where you cast a line, the silt at the water's edge, or the point where the current finally meets the sea.
Geographic terminology
Shared topographical components
Members are 3–5 letters; first letters B, D, M.
PARTS OF A RIVER
One is BANK.
BANK · BED · DELTA · MOUTH
Spoiler zone
Complete Connections answer
Open only the solution you want to see. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.
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Reveal the yellow group
THINGS THAT SOUND LIKE "T"TEA · TEE (GOLF) · TEE (SHIRT) · TI (MUSICAL NOTE)
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Reveal the green group
OBJECTS WITH TEETHCOMB · GEAR · SAW · ZIPPER
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Reveal the blue group
MILD OATHSFUDGE · GEEZ · NUTS · RATS
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Reveal the violet group
PARTS OF A RIVERBANK · BED · DELTA · MOUTH
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Connections on December 12, 2024. Every answer below helps you along without giving the game away — ready to see the full solution? See the complete Connections answer for December 12, 2024, or browse every Connections puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Connections on December 12, 2024?
NYT Connections on December 12, 2024 rates 3 out of 4 on our difficulty scale — a tougher-than-average puzzle. As always you sort sixteen words into four colour-coded groups, and our hints tease what links each group without ever naming the words.
What's a spoiler-free hint for NYT Connections on December 12, 2024?
The hint ladder above starts with a one-line vibe for each of the four groups, then adds the connecting idea, then the wording of each category. You climb only as far as you need, and no grouped words are shown until the final reveal.
How many groups are in NYT Connections #550?
Four groups of four, ordered from the gentlest to the trickiest. For the categories and the sixteen words themselves, open the answer section on this page — the hints here keep them hidden.
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words
Today on Cluestand
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words