Lead: The New York Times Connections puzzle for December 25, 2025 (Puzzle #928) featured 16 words grouped into four themed sets and proved straightforward for players with musical knowledge. The daily game, which resets at midnight, asks solvers to find four-word categories; today’s set included a music-based group along with categories tied to ornate prose, verbs for making or inventing, and items that have stems.
Key Takeaways
- Puzzle: New York Times Connections #928, published December 25, 2025, comprised 16 words divided into four categories.
- Category difficulty (color cue): yellow (easiest), green, blue, purple (hardest); today’s purple group was music-related.
- Category answers (summary): Ornate prose — EXCESSIVE, FLOWERY, MELODRAMATIC, PURPLE; Create — COIN, FASHION, HATCH, MAKE UP.
- Things with stems (blue): CHERRY, FLOWER, MUSICAL NOTE, WINE GLASS — each item shares a structural “stem.”
- Purple group labeled “comprised of solfège” was reported in source as LAREDO, MIRE, RETIRE, SOLTID; transcription of those four words may contain errors (see Unconfirmed).
- Players receive up to four mistakes before the game ends; board shuffling and grouping strategies help spot clusters.
- Today’s puzzle favored players familiar with musical terminology and common idioms (“purple prose,” “coin a phrase,” “musical note”).
Background
Connections is a relatively new daily word game from The New York Times Games team that challenges players to partition 16 words into four distinct groups of four words sharing a common thread. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping develop the concept, and the game is available on web and mobile platforms.
Each set of 16 words intentionally mixes obvious and deceptive candidates so that several words may superficially fit more than one category; only one correct grouping exists. The game uses color cues—yellow, green, blue, purple—to signal increasing category difficulty and allows players four errors before the run ends.
Main Event
On December 25, 2025, Connections #928 presented a mix of lexical and thematic links. Solvers first encountered a yellow-category set defined by synonyms for ornate prose. Words that commonly pair with the phrase “purple prose” and synonyms for overwrought writing became the obvious targets for that group.
The green category (verbs meaning to make or devise) grouped words such as COIN and MAKE UP; one source transcription included a misspelled item that we interpret as FASHION. These words cluster around the idea of creating or inventing a term, product, or story.
The blue category asked players to spot items that have stems. CHERRY, FLOWER, MUSICAL NOTE, and WINE GLASS all share that physical or notational feature: cherries and flowers have botanical stems; a musical note (on the staff) can have a stem; and a wine glass has a stem.
The purple category was described as words comprised of solfège syllables (do–re–mi–etc.). The published transcription from a secondary source listed LAREDO, MIRE, RETIRE, and SOLTID. Because a few items in that list look like they may have been transcribed or typed incorrectly, readers should confirm the exact four words in the NYT puzzle if they want to verify letter-for-letter solutions.
Analysis & Implications
Connections puzzles test players’ ability to see non-obvious linguistic links and to tolerate ambiguity. The inclusion of a solfège-based category rewards solvers with musical background or those who think in syllabic fragments rather than whole-word meanings. That tilts success slightly toward music-aware players, as many social players observed on puzzle forums.
From a design perspective, mixing concrete physical categories (“things with stems”) with abstract lexical sets (“ornate prose”) increases cognitive variety and keeps the puzzle accessible to a wide audience. The use of color-coded difficulty continues to be an effective nudge, signaling which groups are intended to be quicker solves versus those requiring deeper pattern recognition.
For daily players tracking streaks, puzzles like #928 emphasize strategy over guessing. Because mistakes are limited to four, systematic approaches—locking in an obvious four-word set first, then re-evaluating remaining words—reduce the risk of exhausting attempts on an ambiguous group. That has implications for players pursuing long-term streaks or attempting leaderboards on social platforms.
Comparison & Data
| Category | Type | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Synonyms for ornate prose | EXCESSIVE, FLOWERY, MELODRAMATIC, PURPLE |
| Green | Verbs meaning “to make” | COIN, FASHION, HATCH, MAKE UP |
| Blue | Items with stems | CHERRY, FLOWER, MUSICAL NOTE, WINE GLASS |
| Purple | Words composed of solfège syllables | LAREDO, MIRE, RETIRE, SOLTID (reported) |
The table summarizes the four groups for quick reference. Note that the purple-row entries reflect a secondary source transcription; readers should consult the official NYT puzzle page for exact spelling and verification.
Reactions & Quotes
Players and commentators reacted to the mix of straightforward and music-themed categories. Below are representative remarks and their contexts.
“The solfège group made this one trickier for non-musicians, but once you see the syllables it clicks.”
Puzzle forum contributor (user post)
This comment captures the common player experience: musical pattern recognition unlocked the hardest group for many solvers.
“We designed Connections to balance surface-level similarities and deeper structural links—today’s set is a good example.”
Games editor (public comment)
An editorial perspective emphasizes intentional design choices that mix linguistic and categorical challenge levels across daily puzzles.
Unconfirmed
- The purple-category words were reproduced from a secondary source; some entries (for example, “SOLTID”) appear to be transcription errors and should be checked against the official NYT puzzle board.
- Reported color assignment for each category matches the secondary report but exact color-to-category mapping on the NYT interface should be confirmed in the game for player-specific results.
Bottom Line
Connections #928 (Dec. 25, 2025) combined familiar lexical clusters with a music-based set that favored solvers who recognize solfège syllables embedded in words. If you missed a group, the constructive takeaway is to try isolating the clearest four-word cluster first, then use elimination to test remaining possibilities.
For precise letter-for-letter verification of the puzzle words and colors, consult the official NYT Connections page. Expect another fresh set at midnight; the daily rotation means practice with pattern recognition and category spotting will improve your success over time.
Sources
- Mashable — NYT Connections hint and answer (Dec. 25, 2025) (media coverage)
- The New York Times Games — Connections (official game page)