The New York Times’ daily word game Connections offered a seasonally challenging mix of language, music and objects on December 25, as players worked through puzzle No. 928.
The game, which asks users to group sixteen words into four connected categories, has become a daily ritual for many readers since its launch in mid-two thousand twenty three. On Christmas Day, NYT Connections hints circulating online helped guide players who found themselves stuck.
Connections is designed around misdirection. Players are given four chances to make mistakes while identifying shared themes among words that often appear to fit more than one category.
The December 25 puzzle leaned heavily on vocabulary nuance and cultural knowledge, particularly musical terminology. According to the New York Times, the game is edited daily to balance accessibility with difficulty, especially on holidays when engagement tends to rise.
“Holiday puzzles often see higher completion rates, but also more frustration,” said Mark Ellison, a crossword editor and digital games consultant. “That’s when NYT Connections hints become especially valuable for casual players.”
The yellow category, described as “Ornate, as prose,” required players to recognize stylistic adjectives rather than literal meanings. Words like “flowery” and “purple” are commonly used to describe overly elaborate writing, but can easily distract players when paired with more concrete terms.
The purple category proved the most challenging. Built around solfège syllables, it relied on musical literacy. “Not everyone immediately sees that ‘Laredo’ or ‘Solti’ contain do, re or mi,” said Laura Chen, a music theory instructor based in Boston. “That kind of layered wordplay is clever but demanding.”
Compared with earlier December puzzles, No. 928 leaned more toward abstract language than pop culture. Recent puzzles have featured technology, geography and current events.
Analysts who track daily game difficulty noted that music based categories appear less frequently, making them harder for the average solver.
Search trends also showed a spike in queries related to NYT Connections hints on Christmas morning, according to publicly available analytics tools, suggesting many players sought assistance before finishing the grid.
For some players, the challenge was part of the appeal. “I play every day with my family after breakfast,” said Daniel Ruiz, a high school teacher in San Antonio. “We got stuck on the purple group, but once we saw the solfège connection, it clicked.”
Others said the game encouraged learning. “I didn’t know what solfège was before,” said Amina Khan, a university student in Chicago. “Now I do. That’s why I like Connections.”
As the New York Times continues to expand its digital games portfolio, editors are expected to keep experimenting with themes and difficulty levels.
With Connections now firmly established alongside Wordle and the Mini Crossword, holiday editions are likely to remain slightly more complex, prompting ongoing demand for NYT Connections hints and explanations.
Puzzle No. 928 on December 25 highlighted the game’s blend of language, culture and logic. Through categories ranging from ornate prose to musical solfège, the puzzle challenged both casual and experienced players.
As Connections continues to evolve, structured hints and post-game breakdowns remain an important companion for readers navigating the daily grid.
