New York Times Connections Puzzle #563 Solved

It's Christmas Day, and the New York Times Connections puzzle is back with a holiday twist! If you've tackled previous holiday puzzles, you know the NYT can be subtly festive without being overtly so. Need help with puzzle #563 (December 25, 2024)? Look no further! This guide provides hints, category clues, and solutions, leaving the core gameplay rules intact.

The Words: The puzzle features: Queen, Star, Cupid, Strong, Rudolph, Sagittarius, Nanny, Comet, Vixen, Moon, Robin Hood, Shannon, Hawkeye, Fey, Jenny, and Planet.

What is a Jenny? A spinning jenny (a machine for spinning yarn), a female name, a female animal (certain bird species), or a nautical term (a type of jib).

General Hints:

• No reindeer names.
• No categories solely for female first names.
• Shannon and Strong belong together.

Category Hints and Solutions:

Yellow Category (Easy):

Hints: Think black holes and satellites.

Answer: Celestial Objects

Words: Comet, Moon, Planet, Star

Green Category (Medium):

Hints: Consider Katniss, Artemis, and Legolas.

Answer: Archers

Words: Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius

Blue Category (Hard):

Hints: Think doe, hen, molly.

Answer: Female Animals

Words: Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen

Purple Category (Tricky):

Hints: Consider comedians.

Answer: SNL Cast Members

Words: Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong

Complete Solution:

• 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? Visit the New York Times Games Connections website!