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For reference, this is the December 21, 2024 puzzle—not the separate Connections game published on December 21, 2025.
The 16 words in Connections #559
Here is the complete grid in shuffled order:
BAND SLEIGH BALONEY PAN BUNK GROUCH CIRCLE CANOPY CROCK O STATUETTE POT RING MURPHY CASSEROLE HOOP
Hints for Saturday’s Connections puzzle
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- Yellow: These can describe a shape that goes around or forms a circuit.
- Green: These are containers or implements used for cooking.
- Blue: These are different kinds of beds, including one associated with a wall or cabinet and one associated with Santa’s vehicle.
- Purple: Each can be associated with the name “Oscar”—directly, through a character, or through an award-like object.
Connections is designed to make some words appear to fit more than one group. In this grid, for example, “sleigh” is a seasonal distraction, while “crock” can be read as either a container or a reference to a crockpot.
Category answers
Yellow: LOOP
Green: COOKING VESSELS
Blue: KINDS OF BEDS
Purple: THINGS CALLED “OSCAR”
Second spoiler warning: The complete four-word groups and the reasoning behind each connection appear below.
Complete answers for NYT Connections #559
Yellow: LOOP
BAND, CIRCLE, HOOP, RING
Each of these words can describe a loop or a ring-shaped form. A band may encircle something, a circle closes around a central space, and a hoop is a circular loop. “Ring” can refer to the shape itself or to something worn around a finger.
Rank #2
Green: COOKING VESSELS
CASSEROLE, CROCK, PAN, POT
These are cookware or cooking-vessel terms. A casserole can mean the dish used for baking as well as the prepared food, while a crock is a sturdy container and can also suggest a crockpot. A pan and a pot are broad but standard names for cooking vessels.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBlue: KINDS OF BEDS
BUNK, CANOPY, MURPHY, SLEIGH
Each word can complete the phrase “_____ bed.” A bunk bed is raised above or paired with another bed; a canopy bed has a framed covering; and a Murphy bed folds into a wall or cabinet. A sleigh bed has a curved headboard and footboard, traditionally resembling the shape of a sleigh.
“Sleigh” is the puzzle’s most conspicuous seasonal red herring because the December date naturally makes many solvers think first of Santa’s vehicle rather than furniture.
Purple: THINGS CALLED “OSCAR”
BALONEY, GROUCH, O, STATUETTE
This is the most culturally specific group:
- Baloney: Oscar Mayer’s branding is associated with the company’s famous mascot and the name Oscar.
- Grouch: Oscar the Grouch is the Sesame Street character.
- O: “Oscar” is the NATO phonetic-alphabet word for the letter O.
- Statuette: An Oscar is the commonly used name for the Academy Award statuette.
The category label is an explanation of the connection, not an additional word from the grid. Similarly, the connection for O depends on the NATO phonetic alphabet, not on the ordinary name of the letter.
Why this puzzle is tricky
The yellow group uses four general words for circular or encircling forms, so some entries may initially seem too broad to be useful. The green group also contains a potential ambiguity: “crock” is both a container and part of the familiar word “crockpot.” Connections rewards finding the most precise four-word relationship while resisting plausible but incomplete associations.
The blue category is helped by testing each word before dismissing it as seasonal vocabulary. “Murphy” and “sleigh” are not cooking terms or circular shapes here; they become clear once paired with “bed.” The purple group is intentionally different from the other three: its entries point to people, names, a phonetic code word and an award object rather than sharing one ordinary dictionary definition.
How Connections works
In the daily New York Times Connections game, players divide 16 words into four groups of four. The groups are connected by a shared property, phrase or cultural reference. You can make up to four mistakes, so it is usually better to test a theory carefully before submitting it—especially when several words appear to fit the same broad idea.
The game also supports result sharing and progress or statistics features through a New York Times account. Access to current and older puzzles can depend on the player’s account or Games access level.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Play older Connections puzzles
The NYT Games archive is the place to look for older daily puzzles such as #559, subject to the access level available with your New York Times Games account. It is useful if you want to revisit a particular date, compare solving strategies or work through a longer run of archived games.
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If you enjoy the daily game but want something away from a screen, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! is an optional NYT Games puzzle-book recommendation. It contains Connections-related and other word-puzzle material, but it is not a reproduction of the December 21, 2024 grid and is not required to solve this puzzle.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the answer to NYT Connections on December 21, 2024?
Connections puzzle #559 had these groups: LOOP—BAND, CIRCLE, HOOP and RING; COOKING VESSELS—CASSEROLE, CROCK, PAN and POT; KINDS OF BEDS—BUNK, CANOPY, MURPHY and SLEIGH; and THINGS CALLED “OSCAR”—BALONEY, GROUCH, O and STATUETTE.
Why is O in the “Oscar” category?
Oscar is the NATO phonetic-alphabet word for the letter O. It is not simply another name for the letter in ordinary English.
How many mistakes can you make in NYT Connections?
Players can make up to four mistakes before the puzzle ends. Because many entries can suggest broad alternative groupings, checking the exact relationship between all four words is important.
Can I play older NYT Connections puzzles?
Older games are available through the New York Times Games archive, although access can depend on your account and Games access level.
The Bottom Line
The solution to Connections #559 is: LOOP—BAND, CIRCLE, HOOP, RING; COOKING VESSELS—CASSEROLE, CROCK, PAN, POT; KINDS OF BEDS—BUNK, CANOPY, MURPHY, SLEIGH; and THINGS CALLED “OSCAR”—BALONEY, GROUCH, O, STATUETTE.
Quick Recap
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