Today's NYT Connections Helper: Unlocking December 20th's Puzzle

Oh, NYT Connections! It’s a bit of a love-hate relationship for many of us, isn't it? One minute you're breezing through a category, feeling like a word wizard, and the next you’re staring blankly at the grid, convinced the New York Times puzzle masters have decided to personally mess with your brain. That glorious "Aha!" moment when everything clicks, though? Absolutely worth every bit of head-scratching. It's truly become a delightful, albeit sometimes frustrating, daily ritual.

If you're anything like me, you probably have your own little routine for tackling these puzzles. My go-to strategy usually involves scanning for the super-obvious connections first – synonyms are often a good starting point. Then, I branch out, maybe looking for homophones, or words that share a common prefix or suffix. Sometimes, it’s about thinking of different parts of speech or even abstract concepts. The key, I've found, is not to rush; let your brain chew on it for a bit before making those precious four mistakes. And, honestly, stepping away for a minute and coming back with fresh eyes works wonders more often than not!

Today's puzzle, for December 20, 2023, felt like it had a few sneaky curveballs in store. If you've been pondering the grid and feeling like you’re just one or two words away from cracking a category, don't fret! I’ve got a few gentle nudges here to help push you in the right direction without completely spoiling the fun. Remember, the goal is to enjoy the process, so only peek as much as you need to!

Let’s start with a hint for one of the categories. Try thinking about actions you might perform on something physical, perhaps with your hands. We’re talking about things you could do to, say, a document or even a piece of metal. These aren't necessarily positive actions, if you catch my drift. It’s all about various ways to, well, change something.

For another tricky group, you might want to consider words that describe a sudden, often brief, burst of something. It could be a sound, or a quick movement, or even a feeling that comes and goes. Think about things that happen rather abruptly or are quite short-lived in their intensity. Does that spark any ideas?

Moving onto a third category, this one leans a bit more into the idea of repair or adjustment. Imagine something that’s gone awry, or perhaps needs to be brought back into proper alignment or working order. The words here are all about the process of setting things right or getting them back to a desired state. Keep that in mind as you look at the grid!

And finally, for that elusive fourth group – which, let's be honest, is often the trickiest purple category – try to think about items that are typically contained within something else. These aren't just random things; they tend to be specific components or inclusions. What sort of things often come as part of a set or are enclosed in a larger entity? It's a subtle connection, but once you see it, it'll make perfect sense.

Alright, deep breath time! If those hints were enough to get your gears grinding and you've solved it, fantastic! But if you’re still staring at those sixteen words with a puzzled expression, or if you simply want to confirm your hunches, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. Here are the categories for today’s NYT Connections puzzle for December 20, 2023, followed by the full answers. No judgment here – sometimes you just need to know!

The categories for today’s puzzle were:

• Yellow Category: Destroy / Damage (e.g., TEAR, SHRED, MAR, RAVAGE)
• Green Category: Quick Bursts (e.g., DASH, FLASH, STREAK, BURST)
• Blue Category: Adjust (e.g., TUNE, ALIGN, SET, RECTIFY)
• Purple Category: Things Found in a Box (e.g., CRACKER, CRAYON, SOAP, CEREAL)

And now, for the full, glorious solutions, group by group:

Yellow Category: Destroy / Damage
Words: MAR, RAVAGE, SHRED, TEAR
Oh, this one definitely felt like it was "doing damage" to my brain at first! All those words just perfectly describe different ways to mess something up, don't they?

Green Category: Quick Bursts
Words: BURST, DASH, FLASH, STREAK
Such a neat little collection! These words really capture that feeling of something happening fast and then, just like that, it's gone. A flash of lightning, a quick dash – you get the idea.

Blue Category: Adjust
Words: ALIGN, RECTIFY, SET, TUNE
This category was quite clever. Each word beautifully implies bringing something into balance or fixing an imperfection. Like tuning an instrument or aligning a wheel – making things just right.

Purple Category: Things Found in a Box
Words: CEREAL, CRACKER, CRAYON, SOAP
Ah, the purple category! Always the one that makes you groan and then marvel at its ingenuity. This one's a perfect example – simple items, but the commonality of being "in a box" is such a great twist. Who knew a bar of soap could be so elusive?

Well, there you have it! Whether you conquered it on your own with a little help, or simply wanted to see the answers, I hope this guide brought you some satisfaction. Connections is a fantastic way to stretch your brain cells, and there's always another puzzle waiting tomorrow. Happy puzzling!