Connections Hints
Thursday, December 21, 2023
Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — December 21, 2023
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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
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Word grid
All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.
DEATH
DIRECT
DRYER
GUIDE
HAMPER
HIDDEN
IODINE
IOTA
IRON
LEAD
MYSELF
ONE
SILICON
STEER
UNCANNY
WASHER
Themes
The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.
SEEN IN A LAUNDRY ROOMStraightforward
SHEPHERDModerate
WHAT “I” MIGHT MEANTricky
___ VALLEYDevious
One word per group
Theme name plus one word from each category.
SEEN IN A LAUNDRY ROOMStraightforward
THINGS YOU'D FIND WHERE CLOTHES GET CLEANED+ 3 more…
SHEPHERDModerate
WORDS MEANING TO GUIDE OR HERD SOMEONE+ 3 more…
WHAT “I” MIGHT MEANTricky
THINGS THE LETTER 'I' CAN STAND FOR+ 3 more…
___ VALLEYDevious
WORDS THAT PRECEDE 'VALLEY' TO MAKE A FAMOUS PLACE OR PHRASE+ 3 more…
Full solution
SEEN IN A LAUNDRY ROOMStraightforward
DRYER,HAMPER,IRON,WASHER
DRYER, HAMPER, IRON, and WASHER are all items commonly found in a laundry room.
SHEPHERDModerate
DIRECT,GUIDE,LEAD,STEER
DIRECT, GUIDE, LEAD, and STEER all mean to shepherd — to guide or direct others.
WHAT “I” MIGHT MEANTricky
IODINE,IOTA,MYSELF,ONE
The letter 'I' can mean IODINE (element symbol), IOTA (Greek letter I), MYSELF (first person), and ONE (Roman numeral I).
___ VALLEYDevious
DEATH,HIDDEN,SILICON,UNCANNY
DEATH, HIDDEN, SILICON, and UNCANNY all precede VALLEY to form well-known phrases: Death Valley, Hidden Valley, Silicon Valley, and the Uncanny Valley.