Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four linked groups. Each group has a shared idea, and the colors show how difficult that idea is meant to be: yellow is easiest, then green, blue, and finally purple as the trickiest.
Today’s Connections categories (December 22, #560)
For today’s wall, the four hidden themes are:
- Yellow – Slang for Head
- Green – Palindromes
- Blue – Police Procedurals
- Purple – First in a Comedy Duo
Full NYT Connections answer for December 22 (#560)
Here is the complete solution, grouped by color from easiest to hardest.
Yellow group – Slang for Head
- COCONUT
- CROWN
- DOME
- SKULL
All four are informal ways to refer to someone’s head.
Green group – Palindromes
- ABBA
- KAYAK
- NUN
- STATS
Each of these reads the same forwards and backwards, letter for letter.
Blue group – Police Procedurals
- BONES
- ELEMENTARY
- KOJAK
- MONK
These titles are all TV crime dramas that follow investigators solving cases.
Purple group – First in a Comedy Duo
- ABBOTT
- FRY
- KEY
- LAUREL
Each surname belongs to the “first” name in a well-known double act: Abbott and Costello, Fry and Laurie, Key and Peele, Laurel and Hardy.
How to spot today’s categories
Slang for Head is usually the safest starting point. COCONUT, DOME, and SKULL are obvious, and CROWN fits once you think of “crown of the head.” Grouping those four early removes a lot of visual noise.
Palindromes often jump out once you read the words slowly in both directions. ABBA and KAYAK are strong anchors; once they’re paired, NUN and STATS complete the pattern.
Police Procedurals depend on TV knowledge. BONES and MONK are straightforward; ELEMENTARY and KOJAK lock in the theme. If you recognized two or three shows, it was safer to test that group sooner rather than leaving them to the end.
First in a Comedy Duo is the classic purple misdirection. All four surnames could have fit other ideas, but once ABBOTT and LAUREL are in mind together, FRY and KEY become much easier to justify as “the first name on the poster.”
General strategy for future Connections puzzles
1. Clear the obvious vocabulary sets first. Synonyms, body parts, and casual slang (like today’s head terms) tend to form yellow or green groups. Removing them early makes the remaining links more visible.
2. Always check for simple patterns such as palindromes. Short words that “feel” symmetric are worth reading both ways; spotting one structural group like that usually unlocks green.
3. Treat titles and names as likely blue or purple material. TV shows, bands, and surnames often belong to the more obscure categories. When several proper nouns seem related to media or famous people, test combinations there.
4. Use elimination once two groups are solved. With eight words left, there are far fewer plausible themes. If six of them feel linked by pop culture, that cluster is very likely your blue or purple group.
5. Be cautious with words that fit more than one idea. A tile like CROWN could tempt you into a royalty set or clothing set in another puzzle. When a word seems to belong everywhere, leave it until at least three safer members of a group are clear.
Connections refreshes daily through the New York Times Games hub, so the next set of four groups will arrive at midnight local time with a completely new theme mix.
