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Here are graduated hints for NYT Connections puzzle #921, dated Thursday, December 18, 2025. Start with the broad clues, move to category hints or sample words, and stop before the spoiler section if you want to solve the grid yourself.
Hints for Connections #921
The 16 words on the board are HERO, BUTTERFLY, FELT, FANCY, GLITTER, FANTASY, STAR, MEDIA, DAYDREAM, WORKER, PRINCIPAL, POMPOM, SECURITY, LEAD, PIPE CLEANER, and ILLUSION.
- Yellow: These are hopeful thoughts, lofty ideas, or flights of whimsy.
- Green: Think of the person at the center of a story.
- Blue: These are familiar materials from art class or children’s craft projects.
- Purple: Each word completes the phrase “social _____.”
Need a little more help?
- Yellow sample: DAYDREAM.
- Green sample: HERO.
- Blue sample: FELT.
- Purple sample: BUTTERFLY.
Answers for Thursday, December 18
Spoilers below. The answer sets and category names are reported by TechRadar and independently by Forbes.
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | BIT OF WISHFUL THINKING | DAYDREAM, FANCY, FANTASY, ILLUSION |
| Green | PROTAGONIST | HERO, LEAD, PRINCIPAL, STAR |
| Blue | COMPONENT OF AN ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECT | FELT, GLITTER, PIPE CLEANER, POMPOM |
| Purple | SOCIAL _____ | BUTTERFLY, MEDIA, SECURITY, WORKER |
How today’s groups fit together
Yellow: BIT OF WISHFUL THINKING
A DAYDREAM, FANCY, FANTASY, or ILLUSION can describe an imagined hope or idea. The group is about flights of thought, not necessarily plans likely to come true.
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Green: PROTAGONIST
HERO, LEAD, PRINCIPAL, and STAR can each refer to the central character or performer in a story or production.
Blue: COMPONENT OF AN ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECT
FELT, GLITTER, PIPE CLEANER, and POMPOM are craft materials. Their concrete connection separates them from the more abstract yellow words.
Rank #2
Purple: SOCIAL _____
Put SOCIAL before each answer to form SOCIAL BUTTERFLY, SOCIAL MEDIA, SOCIAL SECURITY, and SOCIAL WORKER. This phrase-based set can be easy to overlook because the four words otherwise point in very different directions.
Why the board can mislead
Some words look as though they could belong to more than one possible idea. BUTTERFLY may suggest whimsy or dreams, while PRINCIPAL can sound like a synonym for “main.” The useful distinction is that the completed sets make four separate patterns: imagined thoughts, a central character, craft materials, and phrases beginning with SOCIAL. A dated community discussion also shows these kinds of alternative associations, but it is reader reaction rather than an authority on the official grouping: Reddit discussion of puzzle #921.
How Connections works
Connections presents 16 words to sort into four groups of four based on a shared connection. The categories vary in difficulty, and a word that appears to fit one pattern may instead belong to another set. TechRadar says the game is available through NYT Games on desktop or mobile; access details can change. Forbes notes that an archive of previous games is available to eligible NYT All Access or Games subscribers, subject to the service’s current terms.
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