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This is the archived NYT Connections puzzle for Wednesday, December 11, 2024—game #549. Start with the four spoiler-controlled hints below; category names and the complete answer key follow in separate sections.
Hints for Connections #549
These clues move from broad to more revealing. The wording is from Parade’s December 11, 2024 guide.
- Yellow: An idyllic or picturesque place.
- Green: To function properly, these items require a vigorous, up-and-down motion before use.
- Blue: A blending of names or terms to create something new.
- Purple: The words in this category end with terms associated with companionship.
Category names
Ready to see the group labels? The four categories are:
- Yellow: UTOPIA
- Green: THINGS YOU SHAKE
- Blue: PROPER NOUN PORTMANTEAUX
- Purple: ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR “FRIEND”
Full answer key
Spoilers: The complete groups and their words are below.
#1 Best Overall
- Yellow — UTOPIA: PARADISE, SEVENTH HEAVEN, SHANGRI-LA, XANADU
- Green — THINGS YOU SHAKE: HAIRSPRAY, MAGIC 8 BALL, SALAD DRESSING, SNOWGLOBE
- Blue — PROPER NOUN PORTMANTEAUX: JAZZERCISE, PARALYMPICS, POKÉMON, WIKIPEDIA
- Purple — ENDING IN SYNONYMS FOR “FRIEND”: KETCHUM, PAYPAL, PRIMATE, ROSEBUD
How the groups fit
Yellow: ideal places
Paradise, seventh heaven, Shangri-La, and Xanadu all evoke an ideal or paradise-like place.
Green: things you shake
Hairspray and salad dressing are shaken before use; a Magic 8 Ball and a snow globe are shaken to make them work as intended.
Blue: portmanteaux built from names or terms
Each answer blends parts of proper names or terms: Jazzercise, Paralympics, Pokémon, and Wikipedia.
Purple: friend words at the end
The last words contain informal terms for a friend: Ketchum ends in “chum,” PayPal in “pal,” primate in “mate,” and rosebud in “bud.” The endings are the trick that links an otherwise unrelated set.
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Connections #549 was published on December 11, 2024. Parade’s dated guide and the answer pages at Connections Hint and Try Hard Guides agree on the category memberships; the detailed hints above follow Parade’s guide.
Quick Recap
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