Looking for the NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, December 14, 2025? This was Connections puzzle No. 917. Below, you’ll find progressively stronger clues, followed by the four categories and the complete solution.
Spoiler warning: The hints begin broadly, but the category names and answers reveal the puzzle. Stop reading whenever you have enough help to finish the grid yourself.
The 16 words in Connections No. 917
Here is the board from the December 14, 2025 puzzle:
- DUCKLING
- COLONEL
- NAPOLEON
- PRINCESS
- CALF
- PIGLET
- EMPEROR
- FAWN
- GUSH
- MERMAID
- CHALK
- PORKY
- PRAISE
- WOULD
- BABE
- FLATTER
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to divide them into four groups of four. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is generally the easiest, followed by green and blue, while purple is usually the most difficult. The catch is that a word may appear to fit more than one possible theme.
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Hints for the December 14 puzzle
Try these in order. The first hint is the least revealing, while the last points very directly toward its category.
Yellow hint
Think of behavior that involves exaggerating compliments or giving someone a great deal of praise.
Green hint
These are figures or titles associated with well-known stories by Hans Christian Andersen.
Blue hint
Think about the word salmon and what happens to one of its letters when you say it aloud.
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Purple hint
Think of the catchphrase: “Th-th-that’s all, folks!”
Answers for NYT Connections No. 917
Spoilers from this point onward. The four groups were as follows.
Yellow: LAY IT ON THICK
- FAWN
- FLATTER
- GUSH
- PRAISE
These words describe excessive or enthusiastic praise. To fawn over someone is to show exaggerated admiration, while to flatter, gush, or praise someone can all fit the idea of laying it on thick.
Green: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FIGURES
- DUCKLING
- EMPEROR
- MERMAID
- PRINCESS
Each word points to a recognizable Andersen story: The Ugly Duckling, The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Little Mermaid, and The Princess and the Pea. The entries are shortened references rather than the characters’ complete names.
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- CALF
- CHALK
- COLONEL
- WOULD
Each word contains an L that is not pronounced in standard English pronunciation. The words do not sound alike—the connection is specifically the silent letter.
The clue about salmon points toward this group because the l in “salmon” is also silent. The pronunciation details differ from word to word, but the spelling pattern is the same in the relevant respect.
Purple: FICTIONAL PIGS
- BABE
- NAPOLEON
- PIGLET
- PORKY
These are fictional pig characters: Babe from Babe, Napoleon from George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Piglet from Winnie-the-Pooh, and Porky Pig from Looney Tunes.
NAPOLEON is the likely trap in this group. At first glance, it may suggest the historical French emperor. In this puzzle, however, it refers to the pig who becomes a leader in Animal Farm. That interpretation helps complete the fictional-pig category alongside the more immediately recognizable BABE, PIGLET, and PORKY.
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Why this grid was tricky
The board mixed several broad associations: animals, story characters, literary figures, titles, and spelling patterns. DUCKLING, for example, could initially look like an animal, while NAPOLEON could look like a historical name. The Andersen group also uses general words—EMPEROR, MERMAID, and PRINCESS—instead of full character names.
The blue group is different from the other three because it depends on pronunciation and spelling rather than meaning. Once CALF, CHALK, COLONEL, and WOULD are considered together, the silent-L pattern becomes clear. The purple group then becomes easier to identify by treating NAPOLEON as a fictional character rather than a real person.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Frequently Asked Questions
What was the NYT Connections answer for December 14, 2025?
The four categories for Connections No. 917 were LAY IT ON THICK, HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FIGURES, SILENT “L,” and FICTIONAL PIGS.
What was the purple group in Connections No. 917?
The purple group was FICTIONAL PIGS: BABE, NAPOLEON, PIGLET, and PORKY.
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Why was NAPOLEON in the fictional-pigs category?
NAPOLEON refers to the pig in George Orwell’s novel Animal Farm, not to Napoleon Bonaparte.
What were the silent-L words in the December 14 Connections puzzle?
The silent-L group was CALF, CHALK, COLONEL, and WOULD.
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The answer groups for NYT Connections No. 917 on December 14, 2025, were: LAY IT ON THICK — FAWN, FLATTER, GUSH, PRAISE; HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN FIGURES — DUCKLING, EMPEROR, MERMAID, PRINCESS; SILENT “L” — CALF, CHALK, COLONEL, WOULD; and FICTIONAL PIGS — BABE, NAPOLEON, PIGLET, PORKY.
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