You know that feeling when you're staring at a grid of 16 words and your brain just... stalls? Honestly, the NYT Connections for December 7 felt like one of those days where the editor, Wyna Liu, was definitely trying to mess with our heads. If you're stuck on puzzle #910, don't worry. You're not alone. This specific grid was a weirdly specific mix of carpentry, culinary "adventures," and Spanish geography.
Basically, if you aren't a woodworker who happens to love eating organ meats while traveling through Spain, you're gonna have a hard time.
Quick Hints to Get You Moving
Sometimes you just need a little nudge. I’m not gonna give it all away yet, but here’s how to think about the groups for the NYT Connections hints December 7 edition.
- Yellow Group: Think about someone in a massive hurry. They aren't just walking; they’re flying.
- Green Group: This one is for the adventurous eaters. It’s the "bits" of the animal most people skip at the grocery store.
- Blue Group: If you’ve ever watched Parks and Recreation and wished you were Ron Swanson, this is your category. It's all about how things are joined together in a workshop.
- Purple Group: Focus on the prefix. If you know even a tiny bit of Spanish, you'll see a pattern starting with "El."
The Big Red Herrings
What really tripped people up on December 7 was the overlap. Look at TONGUE. Your first instinct might be to pair it with GROOVE—classic woodworking stuff. But wait, GROOVE isn't on the board.
Then there's BOLT. Do you pair it with NUT? Nope, not there either.
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The trickiest part for most players was the "rhyme" trap. Some people on Reddit pointed out that GIZZARD sounds like lizard, HURTLE sounds like turtle, and MORTISE sounds like tortoise. If you spent ten minutes trying to find a "rhyme with a reptile" category, you fell for the trap. It’s a classic "rainbow red herring" designed to burn your four mistakes before you even realize what hit you.
The December 7 Connections Groups (Spoilers Ahead!)
Okay, if you’re ready to just see the answers because you’re down to your last life, here is the breakdown of the actual categories.
Yellow: Move at Breakneck Speed
This was actually the "easiest" group, even though some of the words are a bit old-school.
- BARREL
- BOLT
- HURTLE
- TEAR
Most of us use "bolt" or "tear," but "barrel" (as in "barreling down the highway") is what makes this a bit more of a brain-teaser.
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Green: Organ Meats
This is where it got a bit gross for the squeamish. These are all types of "offal."
- GIZZARD
- HEART
- TONGUE
- TRIPE
If you've ever had tacos de lengua, you probably spotted TONGUE pretty fast. TRIPE and GIZZARD are the ones that usually leave people scratching their heads if they don't spend much time at a traditional butcher shop.
Blue: Woodworking Joint Terms
Unless you spend your weekends covered in sawdust, this was the hardest group for many.
- DADO
- DOVETAIL
- MITRE (sometimes spelled Miter)
- MORTISE
DOVETAIL is a fairly common term even for non-experts, but DADO? That’s a deep cut. It refers to a slot cut into the surface of a piece of machinable material, usually wood.
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Purple: El ___
The "prefix" categories are a staple of Connections. They're usually purple because they require you to ignore the meaning of the word and look at how it’s built.
- CAPITAN (El Capitan)
- DORADO (El Dorado)
- GRECO (El Greco)
- PASO (El Paso)
Interestingly, some people actually found this easier than the woodworking category. If you live in the Southwest or know your art history, "El Greco" and "El Paso" jump out pretty quickly.
Why This Puzzle Still Matters
Solving the NYT Connections hints December 7 puzzle isn't just about the win; it's about how the game trains your brain to look for patterns where none seem to exist. The "one away" warning is both a blessing and a curse. It tells you you're close, but it often leads you to swap out the wrong word.
Research into word games often suggests that this kind of lateral thinking helps with cognitive flexibility. According to the Connections Bot—the NYT's own tool that analyzes how people play—puzzles with technical jargon (like the woodworking terms here) usually have lower "perfect" solve rates. People simply don't have those words in their daily vocabulary.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Game
If this puzzle beat you, here is how you can win tomorrow:
- Shuffle early and often. Your brain gets "stuck" on where words are placed physically on the grid. Shuffling breaks those mental loops.
- Say the words out loud. Sometimes hearing the word helps you find the "sounds like" or "prefix" categories that you'd miss just by reading.
- Wait to submit. If you find four words that fit perfectly, don't click "submit" yet. Look at the remaining 12 words and make sure none of them also fit into that category. If a fifth word fits, you’ve found a red herring.
- Use a notepad. Or just a notes app. Writing down the groups before you click helps you visualize the "leftovers."
Take these tips and go get your win for the next one. The key is to stay patient and remember that the most obvious answer is usually the one Wyna Liu wants you to pick—just so she can tell you you're "one away."