NYT Connections Hint & Answer – Sunday, December 14, 2025

Welcome, puzzle lovers! If you’ve just opened your NYT Connections grid today, you might be feeling like you’re in a bit of a fairy tale—or perhaps a farm. Today’s puzzle, curated by Wyna Liu, offers a delightful mix of literature, linguistics, and some very enthusiastic compliments.

Whether you are looking for a gentle NYT Connections hint or the full answer for 2025-12-14, I’ve got you covered. Let’s break down today’s groups and see how they fit together.

Today's Hints

If you’re not ready for the full reveal yet, here are a few clues to get your gears turning:

• Yellow Group Hint: Think about how you might act when you're trying to impress someone with high praise.
• Green Group Hint: These are protagonists from the mind of a very famous Danish storyteller.
• Blue Group Hint: These characters all share the same species, though their personalities range from shy to tyrannical.
• Purple Group Hint: Read these words out loud. Do you notice something missing in your pronunciation?

Yellow: LAY IT ON THICK

This category focuses on the art of the over-the-top compliment. If you are trying to win someone over with words, you might use these verbs.

• FAWN: To give someone a lot of attention or praise to get their approval.
• FLATTER: To praise someone excessively, often insincerely.
• GUSH: To speak with exaggerated enthusiasm.
• PRAISE: To express warm approval or admiration.

Green: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FIGURES

These are the central characters from the beloved fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. Each word immediately brings a specific story to mind.

• DUCKLING: From The Ugly Duckling.
• EMPEROR: From The Emperor's New Clothes.
• MERMAID: From The Little Mermaid.
• PRINCESS: From The Princess and the Pea.

Blue: FICTIONAL PIGS

From children's books to political allegories, these are some of the most famous swine in literary history.

• BABE: The "sheep-pig" from the movie and book of the same name.
• NAPOLEON: The Berkshire boar who leads the rebellion in George Orwell’s Animal Farm.
• PIGLET: Winnie the Pooh’s timid but loyal best friend.
• PORKY: The classic stuttering Looney Tunes character.

Purple: SILENT "L"

This is the "trickier" category for today. While these words contain the letter "L," you wouldn't know it just by listening to someone say them.

• CALF: Pronounced "kaf."
• CHALK: Pronounced "chok."
• COLONEL: This is the big trick—it’s pronounced like "kernel."
• WOULD: Pronounced "wood."

The Answer for 2025-12-14

If you’re down to your last guess and just need the solution, here is the complete breakdown for today’s grid:

• LAY IT ON THICK: FAWN, FLATTER, GUSH, PRAISE
• HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FIGURES: DUCKLING, EMPEROR, MERMAID, PRINCESS
• FICTIONAL PIGS: BABE, NAPOLEON, PIGLET, PORKY
• SILENT "L": CALF, CHALK, COLONEL, WOULD

Reflections on Today’s Puzzle

Today’s puzzle was a fun journey through different genres. The FICTIONAL PIGS category was a highlight—putting the sweet PIGLET in the same group as the dictatorial NAPOLEON is exactly the kind of range we love to see in Connections!

The biggest hurdle for most will likely be COLONEL in the silent letter category. It’s one of those English words that defies all logic, and seeing it next to WOULD and CHALK really makes you realize how weird our spelling can be.

How did you do today? Did you find the fairy tale characters first, or were you stuck on the pigs?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play NYT Connections?

The goal is to find four groups of four words that share a common link. Select four words and tap "Submit" to see if you're right. You have four lives (mistakes) before the game ends.

When does NYT Connections reset?

New puzzles are released every day at midnight in your local time zone.

What do the colors mean in Connections?

The colors indicate difficulty:

• Yellow: The most straightforward / easiest.
• Green: Common knowledge and themes.
• Blue: Slightly more complex or niche categories.
• Purple: The most difficult, often involving wordplay or puns.

Are the categories always the same?

No, the categories change every single day! They can range from "Types of Cheese" to "Words that start with a body part." That's what makes it a daily challenge!