The New York Times’ Connections puzzle for December 23 (#926) presented a moderate challenge, combining pop culture, psychology, and wordplay. The puzzle requires players to group 16 words into four categories of four, based on shared themes. The Times has also introduced a performance tracker for registered users, calculating scores and streaks for dedicated players.
Today’s Groupings
Here’s a breakdown of the four categories and their solutions:
- Yellow (Easiest): Vulnerability. This group centers around weaknesses or susceptibility to harm. The words were: Achilles’ heel, downfall, Kryptonite, and soft spot.
- Green: Freudian Concepts. This category draws from psychoanalytic theory. The correct answers are fixation, Oedipus complex, superego, and unconscious.
- Blue: Characters in Capes. This group features iconic figures known for wearing capes. The solution set includes Darth Vader, Dracula, Little Red Riding Hood, and Superman.
- Purple (Most Difficult): Hidden Slang. This category relies on a less obvious connection, using slang for “sausage” as a hidden prompt. The final group is Bratz (brat), dogma (dog), Frankenstein (frank), and Linklater (link).
Notable Past Puzzles
The Connections puzzle often tests players with oblique connections, making some days more difficult than others. The most challenging puzzles to date include:
- Puzzle #5: “Things You Can Set” (mood, record, table, volleyball).
- Puzzle #4: “One in a Dozen” (egg, juror, month, rose).
- Puzzle #3: “Streets on Screen” (Elm, Fear, Jump, Sesame).
- Puzzle #2: “Power ___” (nap, plant, Ranger, trip).
- Puzzle #1: “Things That Can Run” (candidate, faucet, mascara, nose).
The difficulty stems from the need to identify abstract connections rather than straightforward categories. This makes Connections a unique test of lateral thinking within the Times Games suite.
