It's Christmas Day, and it's time for another challenging Connections puzzle from the New York Times! If you've tackled previous holiday puzzles, you know the NYT can be quite clever in subtly incorporating holiday themes.
Need a hand with today's puzzle? This guide provides hints, category-specific help, and even full spoilers – everything but the basic rules of Connections itself.
Words in NYT Connections Puzzle #563 (December 25, 2024):
The puzzle features: Queen, Star, Cupid, Strong, Rudolph, Sagittarius, Nanny, Comet, Vixen, Moon, Robin Hood, Shannon, Hawkeye, Fey, Jenny, and Planet.
Jenny: A Quick Definition
"Jenny" refers to a spinning jenny (a yarn-spinning machine), a female given name, a female animal of certain species, and a nautical slang term for a jib sail.
Hints and Solutions:
The following sections offer hints and answers, progressively revealing more information. Use them strategically!
General Hints:
- No category focuses on reindeer names.
- No category is solely dedicated to female first names.
- "Shannon" and "Strong" belong to the same category.
Yellow Category (Easy): Hints
Consider black holes and satellites.
Yellow Category (Easy): Answer
Celestial Objects
Yellow Category (Easy): Words
Comet, Moon, Planet, Star
Green Category (Medium): Hints
Think Katniss, Artemis, Legolas.
Green Category (Medium): Answer
Archers
Green Category (Medium): Words
Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius
Blue Category (Hard): Hints
Consider a doe, a hen, or a molly.
Blue Category (Hard): Answer
Female Animals
Blue Category (Hard): Words
Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen
Purple Category (Tricky): Hints
Think comedians.
Purple Category (Tricky): Answer
SNL Cast Members
Purple Category (Tricky): Words
Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong
Complete Solutions:
- Yellow - Celestial Objects: Comet, Moon, Planet, Star
- Green - Archers: Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius
- Blue - Female Animals: Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen
- Purple - SNL Cast Members: Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong
Ready to play? Visit the New York Times Games Connections website!
