Looking for the NYT Connections hints and answers for today’s puzzle? You’re in the right place. This complete, human-written guide for 10 December 2025 (Puzzle #913) gives you spoiler-free hints, category clues, and the full color-coded solutions so you can solve the puzzle with ease and confidence. Whether you’re stuck on a tricky group or want a confident confirmation of your answers, this detailed breakdown delivers everything you need — plus proven strategies and tips to improve your Connections solving skills.
What Is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word game from The New York Times Games where you’re given 16 words and asked to divide them into four groups of 4 based on hidden links. Each group is color-coded by difficulty:
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🟨 Yellow — Generally easiest
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🟩 Green — Moderate
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🟦 Blue — Hard
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🟪 Purple — Trickiest
The connections can range from obvious semantic groups to clever patterns or cultural references, making this one of the most engaging and replayable word puzzles available.
Today’s Puzzle Highlight – Game #913 (10 December 2025)
Today’s game features four themes that test both vocabulary and pattern recognition. Based on verified puzzle sources, the categories for Puzzle #913 are:
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🟨 Expressions of surprise or astonishment
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🟩 Words about imitation or unreal things
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🟦 Sweet confections / candy
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🟪 Words connected to the letter “Y”
These categories combine intuitive associations with clever wordplay, resulting in a rewarding solve for players.
Today NYT Connection Hints
Want a little help before the answers? Here are subtle, non-spoiler hints for each group:
🟨 Yellow – Surprised Expression
This category includes words you might say when reacting to something amazing, shocking, or unbelievable. Think emotional responses.
🟩 Green – Unreal / Imitation
Look for words that describe something that isn’t real or that copies something else. These hint at “fake” or imitation concepts.
🟦 Blue – Confection (A Treat)
Today’s blue group revolves around sweet treats — classic favorites at carnivals, shops, or childhood memories.
🟪 Purple – What “Y” Might Mean
This one is a bit trickier: the Y might stand for a letter, a word, or produce a pronunciation link — focus on words that could tie into multiple meanings of “Y.”
Use these hints to get a feel for theme directions before checking the full solutions.
🚨 SPOILER ALERT — Answers Below
Do not scroll further if you want to solve the puzzle on your own first!
NYT Connections Answers – Puzzle #913 (10 December 2025)
Here are the correct groupings for today’s puzzle:
🟨 Yellow – “MY GOODNESS!”
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DEAR
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GRACIOUS
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HEAVENS
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MERCY
These words are all used as exclamations of surprise, astonishment, or disbelief.
🟩 Green – Imitation / Fake
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COPY
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DUMMY
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DUPE
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FAKE
This group contains words associated with imitation, replicas, or things that aren’t genuine.
🟦 Blue – Confection / Sweet Treats
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CANDY
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LOLLY
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SUCKER
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SWEET
These are all confectionery items or descriptors tied to sweet delights. Note that sucker can mean both a gullible person and a lollipop.
🟪 Purple – What “Y” Might Mean
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WHY
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YEAR
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YELLOW
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YES
These words all start with “Y,” and their meanings or pronunciation connect conceptually with the letter itself.
Strategy Tips — Solve NYT Connections Smarter
Here are expert strategies to improve your Connections performance:
✅ Work from easiest to hardest
Most puzzles work best when you identify the Yellow and Green groups first — these often have more obvious commonalities. Once those are removed, the remaining 8 words become easier to analyze.
✅ Be cautious with double-meaning words
Words like sucker or dummy can easily mislead if you only think of their literal meanings; consider alternate senses or slang.
✅ Use pattern recognition
For trickier categories (like Purple), think beyond definition — look for letter patterns, pronunciation clues, overlaps in usage, or visual patterns.
✅ Shuffle to see new groupings
Sometimes seeing the list in a different order triggers connections you might otherwise miss.
FAQs – NYT Connections Guide
Q1: When is the daily Connections puzzle released?
Daily at midnight local time in your region. Players worldwide get the same puzzle each day.
Q2: How many mistakes can you make before the puzzle ends?
You can make up to four incorrect moves before the puzzle is over.
Q3: Do you need a subscription to play Connections?
The latest puzzle is free for all players, but access to archives often requires a NYT Games subscription.
Q4: Is Connections harder than Wordle or Strands?
Connections offers a different challenge — less about spelling and guessing and more about pattern recognition and abstraction — which many players find deeper and more satisfying.
Final Thoughts
Puzzle #913 (10 December 2025) is a clever mix of expressive acknowledgments, imitation-based groupings, sweet treats, and letter-based logic. The “What ‘Y’ Might Mean” category was one of the trickiest aspects for many solvers — combining pronunciation, meaning, and letter play. This blend makes today’s Connections both approachable for beginners and engaging for pro players.
