NYT Connections #923 was published on Saturday, December 20, 2025. The date matters here: the December 20, 2024 puzzle was #558. If you are working on #923, the 16 words are CURE, TIN, BOTTOM, SALT, LOBSTER, FOLD, FALL, DRY, BUCKET, CLASH, PRESS, DRUM, WASH, CAN, DAMNED and MUSIC.
Below are progressively more direct hints, followed by the complete groups and an explanation of the puzzle’s traps. Stop before the answer section if you want to solve it without spoilers.
Hints for Connections #923
Connections divides 16 words into four groups of four. Each group has a shared connection, but several words are deliberately tempting in more than one direction.
| Color | Hint |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Something to hold |
| Green | Someone else can clean it |
| Blue | Rock out |
| Purple | (Word) ____ |
More specific nudges
- The yellow group consists of different kinds of containers. One of the words may make you think of percussion instruments instead.
- The green group contains things a laundry or dry-cleaning service can do for your clothes.
- For blue, add “The” before each word. The resulting names belong to British bands formed in the 1970s.
- For purple, place each word after “rock.” One answer is also the title of a well-known B-52s song.
The answers to NYT Connections #923
Yellow: Containers
BUCKET, CAN, DRUM, TIN
A bucket, can, drum and tin can all be used as containers. “Drum” is the key misdirection: alongside MUSIC, it can look like part of a music-related group. In this puzzle, however, it belongs with the other objects that can hold something.
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Green: Laundry services
DRY, FOLD, PRESS, WASH
These are services commonly associated with a laundry or dry cleaner. The words are presented as ordinary verbs, so it is easy to overlook the idea that they describe services someone else performs for you: wash clothing, dry it, fold it or press it.
Blue: British bands formed in the 1970s with “The”
CLASH, CURE, DAMNED, FALL
Add “The” to each word and you get:
- The Clash
- The Cure
- The Damned
- The Fall
The category is narrower than “British bands” or “rock bands.” All four groups formed in the 1970s, and each name begins with “The.” That extra specificity is what separates the intended group from broader guesses.
Purple: Rock ___
BOTTOM, LOBSTER, MUSIC, SALT
Each word follows “rock” to form a familiar phrase or title:
- rock bottom
- Rock Lobster
- rock music
- rock salt
Rock Lobster is the especially distinctive entry: it is the title of the B-52s song. The other combinations are common expressions or categories, making this the puzzle’s most varied group.
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- Lock in the obvious containers. BUCKET, CAN and TIN clearly suggest objects that hold things. DRUM completes the group, even though it also evokes music.
- Read the laundry words as paid services. DRY, FOLD, PRESS and WASH become much more coherent when you imagine a dry cleaner’s service list rather than four unrelated actions.
- Test short words as band names. CLASH, CURE, DAMNED and FALL may initially look like ordinary vocabulary. Adding “The” reveals four specific British band names.
- Look for a shared prefix in the leftovers. Once the first three groups are removed, BOTTOM, LOBSTER, MUSIC and SALT all follow “rock.”
- Keep the category precise. Connections often rewards the most exact relationship, not a technically possible broad one. “British bands” is too general for the blue group, while “British bands formed in the 1970s with ‘The’” identifies the intended set.
Complete word grid
| Group | Words | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | BUCKET, CAN, DRUM, TIN | Containers |
| Green | DRY, FOLD, PRESS, WASH | Laundry services |
| Blue | CLASH, CURE, DAMNED, FALL | British bands formed in the 1970s beginning with “The” |
| Purple | BOTTOM, LOBSTER, MUSIC, SALT | Words following “rock” |
FAQ
What is the answer to NYT Connections #923 for December 20, 2025?
The groups are Containers; Laundry services; British bands formed in the 1970s with “The”; and Rock ___. The words are BUCKET, CAN, DRUM, TIN; DRY, FOLD, PRESS, WASH; CLASH, CURE, DAMNED, FALL; and BOTTOM, LOBSTER, MUSIC, SALT.
What is the yellow category in Connections #923?
The yellow category is Containers: BUCKET, CAN, DRUM and TIN.
Why is DRUM a difficult word in this puzzle?
DRUM can suggest music, especially because MUSIC appears elsewhere on the board. Its intended use is as a container, alongside BUCKET, CAN and TIN.
What do the purple Connections answers have in common?
BOTTOM, LOBSTER, MUSIC and SALT can all follow “rock”: rock bottom, Rock Lobster, rock music and rock salt.
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The Bottom Line
Connections #923, published December 20, 2025, is built around misleading surface meanings: DRUM looks musical, while the band names look like ordinary words. Start with the containers and laundry services, then use “The” for the British bands and “rock” for the final group.
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