Getting stuck on the New York Times Connections grid is a specific kind of morning frustration. You see sixteen words, you think you have a handle on two or three, and then Wyna Liu throws a curveball that makes you question your entire vocabulary. Honestly, the NYT Connections hints Dec 16 for puzzle #919 are a perfect example of why this game has taken over our group chats. It’s not just about knowing words; it’s about seeing the patterns that aren’t actually there—until they are.
If you’re staring at the screen today feeling like the grid is mocking you, don't worry. I've been there. Sometimes you just need a tiny nudge to see the forest through the trees. Or in this case, to see the Hitchcock movies through the percussion instruments.
Why Today’s Grid is Kinda Tricky
The December 16 puzzle has a lot of "overlap bait." That’s the term I use for when the editors put in words that could fit into three different categories, just to drain your four lives before you've even finished your coffee. You might see a word like "DRUMROLL" and think of music generally, but then "BELLHOP" shows up and suddenly the theme shifts.
The secret to winning at Connections isn't just finding a group of four. It's finding the only group of four that doesn't steal a word from another set.
NYT Connections Hints Dec 16: Category Clues
I won't give you the answers right away. That’s no fun. Instead, let's look at the "vibes" of the four color-coded groups for today.
- Yellow Group Hint: This one is all about movement. Specifically, the kind of movement you might do at a wedding or a ballroom competition. If you’ve ever watched Dancing with the Stars, you’ve heard these words.
- Green Group Hint: Think about family trees. Not the ancestors, but the people who come after you. It’s about lineage and what you leave behind.
- Blue Group Hint: Film buffs, this is your time to shine. We are looking for classic cinema titles from a very specific, legendary director known for suspense.
- Purple Group Hint: This is the "wordplay" category. Look at the first few letters of each word. If you find a musical instrument hidden at the start, you’ve cracked the code.
Breaking Down the Dec 16 Words
Let's look at the actual words in the grid for today:
BOLERO, FOXTROT, MAMBO, QUICKSTEP, BROOD, FAMILY, OFFSPRING, POSTERITY, LIFEBOAT, ROPE, SPELLBOUND, SUSPICION, BELLHOP, CHIMERA, DRUMROLL, RATTLESNAKE.
The Yellow Group: Dances
Yellow is usually the most straightforward. Today, it’s all about specific dance styles.
🔗 Read more: Nornir Chest Eastern Barri Woods: The Solution Most People Miss
- BOLERO
- FOXTROT
- MAMBO
- QUICKSTEP
Most people get this one first because "FOXTROT" is such a distinct word. It doesn't really fit anywhere else unless the theme was "Phonetic Alphabet," but since there's no "Alpha" or "Bravo," it’s gotta be the dance.
The Green Group: Descendants
This group is about the kids, the grandkids, and the future generations.
- BROOD
- FAMILY
- OFFSPRING
- POSTERITY
"BROOD" is the tricky one here. Sometimes people think of it as a verb (like "to brood over a loss"), but in this context, it refers to a group of young animals or children.
The Blue Group: Hitchcock Movies
Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense, and today he’s the master of the blue category.
- LIFEBOAT
- ROPE
- SPELLBOUND
- SUSPICION
If you haven't seen Rope, it’s a masterclass in filmmaking—the whole movie looks like one continuous shot. Lifeboat is another "limited setting" movie. These aren't his most famous hits like Psycho or The Birds, which is why this category is ranked Blue (medium difficulty).
The Purple Group: Starting with Percussion Instruments
This is where the NYT Connections hints Dec 16 really matter. Purple is notoriously the "aha!" moment category.
- BELLHOP (Bell)
- CHIMERA (Chime)
- DRUMROLL (Drum)
- RATTLESNAKE (Rattle)
You see it now, right? The first part of each word is a percussion instrument. A bell, a chime, a drum, and a rattle. CHIMERA is the toughest word on the board today. If you didn't know it’s a mythical beast with a lion’s head, goat’s body, and serpent’s tail, you might have struggled. But once you see "CHIME" at the start, it clicks.
Avoiding the Common Pitfalls
One mistake I saw a few people make with the NYT Connections hints Dec 16 was trying to put "FAMILY" in the same category as "BROOD" and then getting stuck on "RATTLESNAKE." Why? Because they thought the theme was "Things that have tails" or "Scary things."
🔗 Read more: Silksong on PC: What You Need to Know About the Launch and Expansion
Always remember: if you have five words that seem to fit one category, you haven't found the right category yet.
Also, watch out for "BOLERO." While it’s a dance, it’s also a short jacket. If there had been words like "CARDIGAN" or "SHRUG" on the board, this would have been a much meaner puzzle. Thankfully, the NYT editors kept it strictly to the dance floor today.
Tips for Tomorrow's Grid
If today’s puzzle beat you, or if you only got it because of these hints, here is how you can get better for tomorrow:
- Shuffle the board immediately. Your brain naturally tries to find patterns based on where the words are sitting. If "BELLHOP" is next to "LIFEBOAT," you might invent a "Nautical" theme that doesn't exist. Shuffling breaks those false links.
- Read the words out loud. Sometimes hearing the word helps you realize it has a double meaning. "ROPE" sounds like a physical object, but it's also a movie title.
- Find the "Link Word." Find the weirdest word on the board (like CHIMERA) and ask yourself: what is the only way this word works? Usually, the weirdest word is the key to the Purple group.
The NYT Connections hints Dec 16 show us that the game is leaning more into movie trivia and word-prefix puzzles lately. Keep that in mind as you head into the rest of the week.
To stay sharp for the next round, try looking at the words from the perspective of their prefixes or suffixes before you look at their definitions. Often, the most difficult category has nothing to do with what the words mean, and everything to do with how they are spelled.
Check back for more strategies as the grids get tougher toward the weekend.