NYT Connections Answer

Whether you’re a woodworking enthusiast or a culinary daredevil, today’s NYT Connections puzzle had a little something for everyone. The December 7, 2025, board offered a mix of high-speed verbs and very specific technical jargon that might have left some players scratching their heads.

If you’re looking for a little help to keep your winning streak alive, here is the full breakdown and the answer for 2025-12-07.

Today's Connections Hints

Before we dive into the full reveal, here are some hints to get your brain moving in the right direction:

• Yellow Category: Think about how a race car or a sprinter moves down a track.
• Green Category: These are items you might find at a specialty butcher shop or in a traditional stew.
• Blue Category: This one is for the DIYers and carpenters—ways to put pieces of wood together.
• Purple Category: All of these words follow a specific two-letter Spanish word.

Yellow: Move at Breakneck Speed

This category was all about velocity. These words describe moving with extreme haste, often with a sense of being slightly out of control.

• BARREL: To move fast, often used when driving.
• BOLT: To suddenly run away or move quickly.
• HURTLE: To move or fly at great speed.
• TEAR: To move very quickly (e.g., "tearing down the road").

Green: Organ Meats

If you’re a fan of "nose-to-tail" dining, this group likely jumped out at you immediately. These are all edible organs, also known as offal.

• GIZZARD: A muscular part of a bird’s stomach.
• HEART: Often grilled or braised in many cuisines.
• TONGUE: Commonly found in deli sandwiches or tacos (lengua).
• TRIPE: The edible lining of a farm animal's stomach.

Blue: Woodworking Joint Terms

This was the "expert" category for today. If you’ve ever built a bookshelf or a picture frame, these terms should ring a bell.

• DADO: A rectangular groove cut into a board so that another board can fit into it.
• DOVETAIL: A joint formed by interlocking "tails" and "pins"—common in high-quality drawers.
• MITRE: A joint made by beveling each of two parts to be joined, usually at a 45° angle.
• MORTISE: A hole or recess cut into a part, designed to receive a "tenon" of the same dimensions.

Purple: El ___

The purple category today required you to think about famous landmarks, people, and phrases that begin with the Spanish word for "The."

• CAPITAN: El Capitan, the famous rock formation in Yosemite.
• DORADO: El Dorado, the mythical city of gold.
• GRECO: El Greco, the famous Greek painter of the Spanish Renaissance.
• PASO: El Paso, the city in Texas.

NYT Connections Answer for December 7, 2025

If you just want the quick solution, here are the completed groups for today's puzzle:

• MOVE AT BREAKNECK SPEED: BARREL, BOLT, HURTLE, TEAR
• ORGAN MEATS: GIZZARD, HEART, TONGUE, TRIPE
• WOODWORKING JOINT TERMS: DADO, DOVETAIL, MITRE, MORTISE
• EL ___: CAPITAN, DORADO, GRECO, PASO

Troubleshooting Today's Puzzle

The trickiest part of today’s board was likely the Blue category (WOODWORKING JOINT TERMS). Words like DADO and MORTISE aren't exactly everyday vocabulary unless you spend time in a workshop.

There was also a slight "red herring" with BOLT and MORTISE, as both could tangentially relate to hardware or construction, but once you realized BOLT belonged with the speed synonyms, the rest of the pieces fell into place.

If you struggled with the NYT Connections hint for the Purple group, don't feel bad—"EL" categories are a classic Wyna Liu trick that requires looking at the words as parts of a larger phrase rather than their literal definitions.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play NYT Connections?

The goal is to find four groups of four words that share a common thread. Select four words and tap "Submit." You have four lives; four wrong guesses and the game ends.

When does NYT Connections reset?

New puzzles are released daily at midnight local time.

What do the colors mean in Connections?

The colors represent the difficulty level:

• Yellow: Most straightforward.
• Green: Straightforward but may have slightly more obscure words.
• Blue: Usually requires specific or technical knowledge.
• Purple: The trickiest, often involving wordplay or "fill-in-the-blank" themes.

Is the NYT Connections puzzle the same for everyone?

Yes, every player receives the same 16 words each day, making it a popular game to share and compare scores with friends!