Waking up and opening the New York Times app has become a ritual for most of us. You grab your coffee, maybe you're still a bit bleary-eyed, and there it is: 16 words staring back at you. Today’s NYT Connections hints December 30 are a perfect example of why this game is both a delight and a total headache.
Honestly, the December 30 puzzle (Game #933) is one of those that looks easy at first glance until you realize the editor, Wyna Liu, has set some very specific traps. You see "Goal" and "Touchdown" and immediately think sports. Don't do it. That's exactly where they want you to trip up.
If you're stuck on the grid today, don't sweat it. We've all been there. Sometimes you just need a little nudge to see the patterns that are hiding in plain sight.
Hints That Won't Spoil the Fun
Before we get into the full breakdown, maybe you just want a tiny push. Think about things that help you get from point A to point B. Not just physically, but also in terms of your personal life or a project you're working on.
The General Vibe of Today's Categories
One category is basically about your "why"—the reason you're doing something. Another is very technical, focusing on tools we use to quantify the world around us. Then there's a category that feels like it belongs in an airport. Finally, the "hard" purple category is actually surprisingly domestic, if you're the outdoorsy, active type.
NYT Connections Hints December 30: Category Clues
If those hints weren't enough, here are some slightly more specific clues for each color group.
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- Yellow: These are all synonyms for what you're trying to achieve.
- Green: Think about the tools sitting in a junk drawer or a toolbox that tell you "how much" or "where."
- Blue: These are specific actions a pilot takes during a trip.
- Purple: All of these are things you’d bolt or clip onto a bicycle.
The Big Sports Trap
Let's talk about the red herring. This is the "rainbow herring" as some fans on Reddit call it. You’ve got GOAL, TOUCHDOWN, BASKET, and POINT.
It looks like a slam dunk, right? It's not.
If you try to submit those four as a group, you'll burn a life. The game is designed to see if you can look past the obvious and find the deeper logical connection. GOAL actually belongs with words like AIM, while TOUCHDOWN is part of the aviation set. BASKET? That’s going on your bike.
It's mean. I know. But that’s the game.
NYT Connections Answers for December 30
If you've run out of guesses or you're just done with it today, here is the full solution for the NYT Connections hints December 30 puzzle.
Yellow: Intention
- AIM
- GOAL
- OBJECT
- POINT
Green: Measuring Devices
- CLOCK (measures time)
- COMPASS (measures direction)
- RULER (measures length)
- SCALE (measures weight)
Blue: Parts of a Flight
- CLIMB
- TAKEOFF
- TAXI
- TOUCHDOWN
Purple: Bike Accessories
- BASKET
- BELL
- RACK
- REFLECTOR
Why Today Was Harder Than It Looked
The Green category (Measuring Devices) is actually pretty straightforward, but because words like SCALE and RULER have multiple meanings, they can be distracting. A "ruler" could be a king. A "scale" could be part of a fish.
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The aviation category is the one that usually trips up people who don't travel much. Many people forget that TAXI refers to the plane moving on the ground, not just a car you hail at the curb.
And then there's the Purple category. BASKET, BELL, RACK, REFLECTOR. For a cyclist, this is a "gimme." But for everyone else, "Rack" could mean a dozen different things. This is why many people solve purple last by default. It's the "leftover" category.
Tips for Future Puzzles
If you want to get better at this, stop clicking so fast.
Basically, the best strategy is to find five words that seem to fit a category. If you find five, you know at least one of them is a trap. For example, if you saw GOAL, TOUCHDOWN, BASKET, POINT, and AIM, you'd know "Sports Scores" isn't the real group because there are too many options.
Try to group the remaining 12 words in your head before you hit submit on the first four. It sounds tedious, but it saves your lives.
Tomorrow is a new day and a new grid. If today's NYT Connections hints December 30 didn't help you get the win, there's always the next one.
To keep your skills sharp, try these steps:
- Analyze the "Purple" group first. Even if you don't select it, try to spot the wordplay or "words that follow X" patterns early.
- Look for homophones. The NYT loves words that sound like other words (like "Minnie" for the car brand Mini).
- Use the shuffle button. Sometimes just seeing the words in a different order breaks the mental loop of a red herring.
Once you've finished the main Connections grid, you can also check out the NYT Strands or the Mini Crossword to keep the momentum going. Happy puzzling.