Issue #976 Sun 21 Dec
Connections hints — December 21, 2025
A steady, rhythmic grid that rewards close attention to common nouns. Today's puzzle offers a few crisp overlaps that may temporarily stall your progress.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
The kitchen counter after a long afternoon, a thin layer of condensation, and the quiet ritual of preparing a warm afternoon drink.
Domestic objects
Physical components of a single item
Members are 3–8 letters; first letters H, L, S.
FEATURES OF A TEAPOT
One is HANDLE.
HANDLE · LID · SPOUT · STRAINER
green group 7 nudges
Green group
Where the lawnmower lives, where the mail piles up, where the kids hide.
Institutional organization
Synonyms for distinct areas within a facility
Members are 6–11 letters; first letters C, P, R, S.
LIBRARY SECTIONS
One is CIRCULATION.
CIRCULATION · PERIODICALS · REFERENCE · STACKS
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
The slow progression of a tide or the inevitable outcome of a long-standing disagreement.
Abstract concepts
Synonyms for derivation or emergence
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters E, F, I, R.
ARISE
One is EMERGE.
EMERGE · FLOW · ISSUE · RESULT
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
You take the same route home and a single door is open that's never open.
Compound words
All share a common suffix
Members are 3–5 letters; first letters A, E, G, R.
___DROP
One is AIR.
AIR · EAVES · GUM · RAIN