You’re staring at the grid and it’s staring back. It’s December 8, and the New York Times has decided to be particularly cheeky today. Honestly, this puzzle feels like a targeted attack on anyone who thinks they know their geography or their sports too well. You see COWBOY, MAVERICK, and RODEO, and your brain immediately starts building a ranch in Texas. Stop right there. That’s exactly what Wyna Liu wants you to do.
Connections is less about what words mean and more about how they behave. Today’s board, Puzzle #911, is a masterclass in the "near-miss." If you’ve already burned two lives trying to link the Wild West together, take a breath. You're not losing your mind; you're just falling for a classic trap.
NYT Connections Hints December 8: The Categories
Sometimes you just need a nudge. A tiny little push. I’m not going to give you the answers right away because where’s the fun in that? But if you’re stuck on these 16 words, here are the themes for each color-coded group.
- Yellow: These are verbs that basically mean "to poke the bear." If you’re trying to get a friend to do something they’re hesitant about, you might do one of these four things.
- Green: This is for the Californians—or the cinephiles. Think about where you’d drive if you were in the backseat of a black town car in a David Lynch movie.
- Blue: Back to Texas, but specifically the "Big D." If you follow the NFL, NBA, NHL, or WNBA, these should eventually click.
- Purple: This is the "What on earth is a SOFA doing here?" category. These are words that look like normal nouns but are actually mutilated versions of something else. Specifically, cities.
The Biggest Red Herrings in Today's Puzzle
The overlap today is brutal. Let’s talk about SPUR. If you’re a sports fan, you see SPUR, MAVERICK, COWBOY, and STAR and think "Texas Teams." It's perfect, right? The San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Cowboys, and Dallas Stars.
Except it's a trap.
✨ Don't miss: All Might Crystals Echoes of Wisdom: Why This Quest Item Is Driving Zelda Fans Wild
The SPUR actually belongs in the yellow group. To spur someone on is to goad them. To take its place in the Dallas group, you need the WING. Specifically, the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. It’s a clever bit of inclusion that trips up people who only follow the "Big Four" men's leagues.
Then there’s the RODEO problem. In most contexts, RODEO goes with COWBOY. Here? Not a chance. RODEO is part of the Los Angeles street group. Think Rodeo Drive. If you’re trying to put the cowboy at the rodeo, you’re going to run out of turns fast.
Deep Dive: The Purple Category Complexity
If you’re looking at MINK, PARS, ROE, and SOFA and thinking the NYT has finally run out of real words, look closer. This is a classic "letter removal" category.
Purple today is European Capitals Minus the Second-to-Last Letter.
🔗 Read more: The Combat Hatchet Helldivers 2 Dilemma: Is It Actually Better Than the G-50?
- MINK is Minsk (Belarus) without the 'S'.
- PARS is Paris (France) without the 'I'.
- ROE is Rome (Italy) without the 'M'.
- SOFA is Sofia (Bulgaria) without the 'I'.
It’s diabolical. Most players find this by process of elimination because, let’s be real, who looks at the word "sofa" and thinks of Bulgaria? Nobody. That’s who.
NYT Connections Answers December 8
Alright, if you’re truly at your wit's end and just want to keep your streak alive, here is the full breakdown of the solution for Puzzle #911.
Yellow: Goad, with "On"
- EGG (as in "egg on")
- PUSH
- SPUR
- URGE
Green: Famous Streets in Los Angeles
💡 You might also like: What Can You Get From Fishing Minecraft: Why It Is More Than Just Cod
- MULHOLLAND
- RODEO
- SUNSET
- VINE
Blue: Member of a Dallas Pro Sports Team
- COWBOY (NFL)
- MAVERICK (NBA)
- STAR (NHL)
- WING (WNBA)
Purple: European Capitals Minus Second-to-Last Letter
- MINK (Minsk)
- PARS (Paris)
- ROE (Rome)
- SOFA (Sofia)
How to Win at Connections More Often
Honestly, the best way to beat the NYT is to never submit your first "obvious" group. If you see four words that fit perfectly, look for a fifth. If there's a fifth word that could fit that category (like SPUR and RODEO today), then you know that category is a trap.
Don't let the "easy" yellow group fool you. Sometimes the most "obvious" words are the ones doing the most work as decoys. Today was a perfect example of how the game uses regional knowledge (LA streets) and specific trivia (WNBA team names) to separate the casual players from the daily addicts.
To get better at the Purple category, start looking for words that feel "off." PARS is a weird plural. MINK is a bit too specific compared to the other nouns. When a word feels out of place, it's usually because it's being used for its spelling rather than its meaning.
To finish your daily puzzle routine, try looking at the board as a whole before clicking. Identify the two most likely "decoy" words and set them aside. Often, once you remove the words that are trying too hard to be related, the actual connections start to shimmer into view.