Puzzle #197

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Monday, December 25, 2023

Puzzle #197 · Monday, Dec 25, 2023

Stuck on Connections puzzle #197? Each group below starts with a gentle hint. Open a starter word, then the category, and only reveal the full answers when you are ready. Your progress is remembered on this device.

Nothing is revealed until you tap it.

Clues and hints for each group

Yellow group Straightforward

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter D.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: BABY

Show the category

Darling

Green group Moderate

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter B.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: LINE

Show the category

Basic Geometric Objects

Blue group Tricky

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter O.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: ENERGY

Show the category

Oomph

Purple group Hardest

Hint: Think of one short word that can come before each of the four to make a familiar phrase.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: AGENT

Show the category

Secret ___

Full answers for puzzle #197

Reveal all four groups and their words

Darling

BABY BOO DEAR LOVE

Basic Geometric Objects

LINE POINT RAY SEGMENT

Oomph

ENERGY FIRE JUICE ZIP

Secret ___

AGENT CODE SANTA SAUCE

More Connections hints

Other Monday puzzles

Questions people ask

How hard is NYT Connections puzzle #197?

Puzzle #197 from December 25, 2023 follows the usual pattern: yellow is the gentlest group and purple the trickiest.

How can I get a hint for the December 25, 2023 Connections puzzle without spoilers?

Every group on this page opens with a one-line hint. One word from the group and then the category name sit behind separate buttons, and the full answers stay hidden until you open them.

When does the new Connections puzzle come out?

A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight in your local time zone. We usually publish the next puzzle's hints the evening before, US time, so they are ready when your grid refreshes. See today's hints →

How many mistakes are you allowed in Connections?

You have four mistakes. The fourth wrong guess ends the game, so you can safely miss three times. If the game says you are "one away", three of your four words are correct.

Where can I find yesterday's Connections answers?

Open the Yesterday page for the previous puzzle, or search the archive by date, puzzle number, word or category. Yesterday's hints →