How today’s NYT Connections answers and red herrings fit together.
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Note: Make sure to complete today’s NYT Connections before reading further! We’ll be getting into spoilers for today’s game pretty quickly. If you need some help to complete the grid, you can find my NYT Connections hints and answers column for today right here.
Hey there, Connectors! Welcome to my deeper dive into today’s NYT Connections answers. The idea behind this is to help clear things up for anyone who isn’t sure how today’s groups fit together.
I’m going to assume that a) you know how to play NYT Connections and b) you’ve already beaten today’s game. If I’ve missed any red herrings or misunderstood something, let me know via email or on Discord. I don’t typically look at X or check the comments here.
We’re going straight into spoiler territory here. So, consider this your one and only warning.
Here are today’s NYT Connections answers explained (and any red herrings I spot) for Wednesday, December 31:
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Today’s NYT Connections Answers Explained
Connections – Yellow Group
🟨 Happy New Year! (BALL DROP, CHAMPAGNE FLUTE, FIREWORKS, NOISEMAKER)
FIREWORKS is self-explanatory. A CHAMPAGNE FLUTE is a narrow glass for champagne and other sparking wines.
BALL DROP refers to the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, New York City. At one minute to midnight, a large ball affixed to the exterior of One Times Square begins to descend. Sixty seconds later, it reaches the bottom of the flagpole to mark the beginning of the new year.
A NOISEMAKER is also known as a party horn or party blower. It’s a paper tube that’s rolled into a coil. When blown, the tube inflates and unfurls to make a horn-like noise.
Connections – Green Group
🟩 places where things disappear (BERMUDA TRIANGLE, BLACK HOLE, COUCH CUSHIONS, DRYER)
The BERMUDA TRIANGLE is an area in the Atlantic Ocean that roughly has Bermuda, Florida and Puerto Rico as its boundaries. According to urban legend, many ships, aircraft and individuals have vanished in this region, but there’s said to be no tangible evidence of unusual activity in the area.
A BLACK HOLE is an astronomical body that’s extremely compact. Its gravity doesn’t allow anything to escape.
COUCH CUSHIONS is a funny one. It’s a reference to the fact that things slip between couch cushions. Looking for a missing TV remote? It’s probably between or underneath your couch cushions.
DRYER is a funny one as well. Many of us lose socks and other small items in the (tumble) dryer.
Connections – Blue Group
🟦 associated with Philadelphia (BROTHERLY LOVE, CHEESESTEAK, LIBERTY BELL, ROCKY)
Philadelphia’s nickname (alongside “Philly”) is the City of BROTHERLY LOVE. That’s derived from the meaning of the city’s name in Greek: phílos (loving) and adelphós (brother/brotherly).
The Philly CHEESESTEAK is a famous sandwich that has thin slices of beefsteak and melted cheese. Hold the onions on mine please, thanks.
The LIBERTY BELL is a symbol of American independence that’s located in Philly. And the movie ROCKY is famously set in the city.
Connections – Purple Group
🟪 starting with bodies of water (BAY LEAF, CHANNEL SURF, SEA BASS, SOUND BARRIER)
Straightforward enough once you see it. Bay, channel, sea and sound are all bodies of water.
A BAY LEAF is used as an aromatic herb in cooking. CHANNEL SURF means to rapidly switch between channels on a TV while looking for something worth watching. SEA BASS is a type of fish. The SOUND BARRIER is a reference to the increase in drag that an object experiences as it gets close to the speed of sound.
Connections – Red Herrings
Connections often has some red herrings. Let’s take a look at today’s (assuming I spotted any).
SSPL via Getty Images
I didn’t catch any red herrings this time. If you did, let me know!
If you’d like to chat about today’s game of NYT Connections with a group of exceptionally cool and lovely people and also me, you can do just that in our Discord community. We’d love to have you join us.
I’ll be back with another set of NYT Connections hints and answers tomorrow, as well as another edition of this one, all going well. You’ll be able to find both of those on my Forbes author page when the time comes (following me there helps me out too!). As for the weekend editions of my NYT Connections hints and answers column, I’m currently doing that via my newsletter, Pastimes.
