Connections Hints
Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — December 16, 2025
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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.
BELLHOP
BOLERO
BROOD
CHIMERA
DRUMROLL
FAMILY
FOXTROT
LIFEBOAT
MAMBO
OFFSPRING
POSTERITY
QUICKSTEP
RATTLESNAKE
ROPE
SPELLBOUND
SUSPICION
Themes
The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.
DANCESStraightforward
DESCENDANTSModerate
HITCHCOCK MOVIESTricky
STARTING WITH PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTSDevious
One word per group
Theme name plus one word from each category.
DANCESStraightforward
THESE MOVES BELONG ON THE DANCE FLOOR+ 3 more…
DESCENDANTSModerate
WORDS FOR THE GENERATIONS THAT COME AFTER YOU+ 3 more…
HITCHCOCK MOVIESTricky
ALFRED HITCHCOCK DIRECTED ALL OF THESE FILMS+ 3 more…
STARTING WITH PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTSDevious
EACH WORD BEGINS WITH A PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT HIDDEN INSIDE IT+ 3 more…
Full solution
DANCESStraightforward
BOLERO,FOXTROT,MAMBO,QUICKSTEP
BOLERO, FOXTROT, MAMBO, and QUICKSTEP are all ballroom or Latin dances
DESCENDANTSModerate
BROOD,FAMILY,OFFSPRING,POSTERITY
BROOD, FAMILY, OFFSPRING, and POSTERITY all refer to one's descendants or the people who come after
HITCHCOCK MOVIESTricky
LIFEBOAT,ROPE,SPELLBOUND,SUSPICION
LIFEBOAT (1944), ROPE (1948), SPELLBOUND (1945), and SUSPICION (1941) are all classic Hitchcock films
STARTING WITH PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTSDevious
BELLHOP,CHIMERA,DRUMROLL,RATTLESNAKE
BELLHOP starts with BELL, CHIMERA starts with CHIME, DRUMROLL starts with DRUM, and RATTLESNAKE starts with RATTLE — all percussion instruments