Unlock tonight's NYT Connections riddles with ease, buddy! If you're on the hunt for the solutions to the December 13, 2023, Connect the Dots game, keep reading. I'll provide some hints, tips, and strategies, along with the answers for all four categories. Plus, we'll delve into the meanings behind the tricky phrases and uncover how it all connects, so pay attention!
Just a heads up: there are spoilers for NYT Connections #185 coming up below! If you'd prefer some hints (and their corresponding answers) without the entire reveal, keep scrolling.
Heads up to our regular Connections fans! Bookmark this page to make your daily return to our Connections Tips a breeze. Here, you'll find our earlier hints in case you're curious about what you missed in past challenges.
Planning to dive into tonight's NYT Connections enigma armed with a solid foundation? Stick around for a series of indirect hints leading up to the big reveal.

If you're in need of specialized wisdom for today's Connections challenge, here are some insider tips:
Running low on general knowledge? No worries, sports jargon can often be helpful.
Themes of today's NYT Connections Riddles
To steer yourself towards the solution, consider the following themes in tonight's riddles (no spoilers):
- Yellow Category: Chunks of a golf course
- Green Category: Phrases for punching someone in the back of the head
- Blue Category: Something rude or explicit
- Purple Category: "ough" words spoil the rhyme
Got a word play in the December 13, 2023, NYT Connections puzzle?
In the purple category, focus on peculiar spelling and pronunciation cases of the words.
Ready to hear the answers? Keep scrolling if you want more help.
Please note: there are Connections spoilers ahead!
Thanks to your perseverance, here are some of the answers for tonight's Connections game. Keep scrolling slowly if you don't want the entire solution immediately.
What are some multi-meaning words in tonight's human connection challenge?
- Green and blue may both look great on a map, but they have dual meanings in reality. Green can refer to various kinds of grass (such as park grass or golf course greens), while blue is associated with coloring the sky or with adult content.
- You might expect rough and tough to seem compatible, but no such luck today. Plus, rough and tough isn't a thing either.
- Did you think that a bough and tough would coalesce? After all, "deck the halls with holly" comes to mind. Don't count on it, though.
What sections make up tonight's NYT Connections game?
- Yellow: Golf course locales
- Green: Screams when you get your head hit
- Blue: Stop being shy, get some vulgarity in
- Purple: "ough" words can create a scramble
Double reminder: the solutions are as follows
Gear up for the solutions to tonight's Connections riddle! Here they come:
What is the yellow word in tonight's NYT Connections solve?
Tonight's yellow group is all about the game of golf, featuring these words: Bunker, Fairway, Green, Rough.
What word falls under the green category in the December 13, 2023, NYT Connections challenge?
Tonight's green group, the second easiest, is based on saying "I give up!" here are the words: Enough, Mercy, Stop, Uncle.
What's the blue word in the December 13, 2023, NYT Connections puzzle?
The blue group is the second-most challenging, with the theme "INDECENT," and these words: Bawdy, Blue, Coarse, Risqué.
What purple word should you use at tonight's NYT Connections game?
The purple group, the most difficult, features "-ough" words that don't fit a pattern, such as: Bough, Cough, Dough, Tough.
How I cracked the December 13, 2023, NYT Connections code
Risqué is a word used to describe something sexy reserving the judgement. Bawdy fits, so does blue, while my best attempt to counter the offensive word is x-rated (vulgar). It's extremely popular. ?
To stop someone from hurting you, say "uncle" and "mercy," and ask for a break from the work. Stop working hard enough! ?
With only eight words to account for, golf-related terms jump out at you: Greens, Fairways, Roughs, and Bunkers. There are only four "-gh" words left: dough, touch, bough, cough. They may share the first letter, but they differ in pronunciation due to English luck. ?
Here's how to play NYT Connections
You've received the Connections playboard from the New York Timesa website or app. Your objective is to discover a group of four blocks that share a unique characteristic (like the same theme). Common subjects include rain (rain, sleet, hail, snow), lists (bucket, guest, top 10, wish list), and -ough words that don't rhyme. By picking four blocks, you exercise your logic and critical thinking skills to explore various connections between words and become a master Connections player.
Ready to connect the dots?
Haven't cracked the December 13, 2023, NYT Connections code yet? Press on with the complete guide to Connections puzzles below.
Solution guide to NYT Connections:
(Source: aussiedlerbote.de)
Enrichment Data:
The categories and word clues for the NYT Connections puzzle on December 13, 2023, are as follows:
- GOLF COURSE PARTS:
- BUNKER, FAIRWAY, GREEN, ROUGH
- “I GIVE!”:
- ENOUGH, MERCY, STOP, UNCLE
- INDECENT:
- BAWDY, BLUE, COARSE[1].