New York Times #563: Ace Today's Crossword!

It's Christmas Day, and it's time for another Connections puzzle from the New York Times! If you've tackled their holiday puzzles before, you know they can be deceptively simple. Need a hand with today's challenge? Look no further. This guide provides hints, category clues, and even full spoilers, but holds back the basic rules of the game.

The Words in NYT Connections Puzzle #563 (December 25, 2024)

Today's puzzle includes: Queen, Star, Cupid, Strong, Rudolph, Sagittarius, Nanny, Comet, Vixen, Moon, Robin Hood, Shannon, Hawkeye, Fey, Jenny, and Planet.

What is Jenny?

"Jenny" refers to several things: a spinning machine, a female given name, a female animal (in certain species), and a nautical term (a type of jib sail).

Hints and Solutions

Below are hints and complete solutions, revealed section by section.

General Hints:

1. No categories focus on reindeer names.
2. No categories are based solely on female first names.
3. "Shannon" and "Strong" belong together.

Yellow Category (Easy):

Hint: Consider black holes and satellites.

Answer: Celestial Objects

Words: Comet, Moon, Planet, Star

Green Category (Medium):

Hint: Think Katniss, Artemis, Legolas.

Answer: Archers

Words: Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius

Blue Category (Hard):

Hint: Consider a doe, a hen, a molly.

Answer: Female Animals

Words: Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen

Purple Category (Tricky):

Hint: Consider comedians.

Answer: SNL Cast Members

Words: Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong

Complete Solutions

• Yellow - Celestial Objects: Comet, Moon, Planet, Star
• Green - Archers: Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius
• Blue - Female Animals: Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen
• Purple - SNL Cast Members: Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong

Ready to play? Find the New York Times Games Connections puzzle online, accessible on most devices.