Waking up on December 27 and opening the NYT Games app feels a certain way. The holidays are winding down, the leftovers are getting questionable, and your brain is probably half-fried from talking to relatives. Then you see those sixteen words. They look innocent. They aren't. If you are looking for Connections hints Dec 27, you’ve likely realized that Wyna Liu—the puzzle's editor—has a specific knack for making words like "Draft" or "Jersey" mean three different things at once.
It’s a game of logic, but mostly it’s a game of lateral thinking. Most people fail because they see a connection immediately and click it. That is exactly what the game wants you to do. It’s a trap. Honestly, the December 27 puzzle is a masterclass in what we call "overlapping sets." You see a word that fits in three categories, but it only belongs in the one you haven't thought of yet.
Breaking Down the Connections Hints Dec 27 Logic
Let’s look at the board. You’re staring at words that might relate to sports, or maybe banking, or maybe just things you find in a kitchen. The trick to the Connections hints Dec 27 grid is identifying the "anchor." An anchor is a word that is so specific it can only belong to one group.
For instance, if you see "Knicks," it’s probably basketball. But if you see "Net," it could be basketball, fishing, or profit. See the problem?
On December 27, the puzzle often leans into the "Year in Review" vibe or, conversely, goes completely off the rails with abstract concepts. You have to be careful with synonyms. A word might mean "to pull" but also "a type of beer." If you aren't looking at the secondary and tertiary definitions, you're toast.
The Most Common Traps to Avoid Today
Red herrings are the lifeblood of this game. On Dec 27, the red herrings usually involve "parts of a whole."
You might see words that look like they belong to a car. Tire, Hood, Trunk, Door. Seems easy? It’s usually too easy. In a real NYT Connections puzzle, one of those—like Hood—will actually belong to a category of "Famous Villains" (Captain Hook, Robin Hood, etc.).
✨ Don't miss: Good Minecraft texture packs: What most people get wrong
Another thing to watch out for in the Connections hints Dec 27 set is the "Fill-in-the-Blank" category. These are the Purple ones. They are the hardest. They require you to put a word before or after the given word to make sense of it. Think "____ Jack." Pepper, Lumber, Cracker, Monterey. If you don't see that pattern, you'll be clicking random words until you're out of lives.
Why Some Words Feel Impossible
Sometimes a word is just obscure. But usually, it’s not the word that’s hard; it’s the context. The NYT team loves using words that function as both a noun and a verb. "Project," "Object," "Refuse." Depending on how you pronounce them in your head, the meaning shifts entirely. If you're stuck on the Dec 27 board, try "pronouncing" the words differently. It sounds crazy, but it works.
Grouping Strategies That Actually Work
Stop clicking. Just stop.
Look at the sixteen words and find the two that are the most "out there." If there’s a word like "Brogue" or "Sloop," start there. What else could they possibly be? A Sloop is a boat. Are there other boats? If there’s only one other boat, then Sloop isn't part of a "Boat" category. It’s probably part of a "Words with Double O" category or something equally devious.
For the Connections hints Dec 27 puzzle, try to group the words into "definites" and "maybes."
- Definites: You are 100% sure "Apple" and "Orange" are fruits.
- Maybes: "Cherry" could be a fruit or a color or a type of wood.
Don't commit to the "Maybes" until you've cleared the other three groups. The most successful players always solve the Purple (hardest) category by accident simply by solving the other three first. It’s the process of elimination.
The Secret Language of the Purple Category
If you are hunting for Connections hints Dec 27 specifically for the purple group, think about homophones. Words that sound the same but are spelled differently are a staple of the NYT.
- Example: Rain, Reign, Rein.
They also love "hidden" words. A category might be "Palindromes" or "Words that start with a chemical symbol." If you see "Irony," "Neon," and "Copper," you might think they are just metals. But "Irony" starts with Fe (Iron), "Neon" is Ne... wait, that’s too simple. Usually, it’s "Words that contain a planet" or "Words that are also numbers."
How to Save Your Streak When You Only Have One Life Left
We’ve all been there. Three mistakes down. One chance left. Your heart rate is actually up over a word game.
- Walk away. Seriously. Close the tab. Your brain’s "diffuse mode" of thinking kicks in when you stop staring at the problem. You’ll come back in an hour and see a connection that was invisible before.
- Shuffle. The shuffle button isn't just there for aesthetics. It breaks the visual associations your brain has made. If "Bread" and "Butter" are next to each other, you’ll keep thinking they go together. Shuffle them to opposite corners.
- Say them out loud. Sounds silly. Do it anyway. Hearing the words can trigger a different part of your memory.
The Evolution of the NYT Connections Puzzle
Since its debut, Connections has become a morning ritual. It’s shorter than a crossword but more satisfying than Wordle because it feels like a battle of wits against a human editor. Wyna Liu has mentioned in interviews that she looks for words that have "friction." Friction is when a word wants to go in two directions at once.
On Dec 27, that friction is usually at an all-time high because the puzzle designers know you have extra time on your hands during the holidays. They want to stump you. They want you to share your grid on social media with a "What was that?!" caption.
Actionable Steps for Today's Puzzle
If you are still struggling with the Connections hints Dec 27 grid, here is your final checklist:
- Scan for "Member of..." groups. Is there a list of NFL teams? Elements? State capitals?
- Check for "Body Parts." But look for the weird ones. Bridge (nose), Pupil (eye), Temple (head).
- Look for "___ of ___" phrases. Like "Piece of Cake," "Piece of Mind," "Piece of Work."
- Identify the "Odd Man Out." If fifteen words are simple and one is "Oubliette," the category is likely about something very specific to that word's definition.
Tomorrow is a new day and a new grid. But for now, take a breath. The words are just letters. You've got this. Start with the most obvious group, verify the fourth word doesn't fit anywhere else, and click with confidence. If you fail, there’s always the Archive.