Today's NYT Connections Hints, Answers for Dec. 24, #562

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

The New York Times Connections puzzle editors went kind of loopy on us today. That yellow category is completely strange, oh my. And the blue and purple groups were absolutely killer. If you need help solving the puzzle, read on for today’s Connections hints and answers.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest, yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Wizard of Oz quote.

Green group hint: Buddies.

Blue group hint: Letters in a group.

Purple group hint: Songs with repeated words in title.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!

Green group: Beloved, as a friend.

Blue group: Words that sound like plural letters.

Purple group: When tripled, hit song titles.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is “lions and tigers and bears, oh my.” The four answers are lions, tigers, bears and oh my.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is beloved, as a friend. The four answers are close, dear, intimate and tight.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is words that sound like plural letters. The four answers are bees, ease, jays and use.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is when tripled, hit song titles. The four answers are bills, bye, gimme and please. (Bills, Bills, Bills is by Destiny’s Child; Bye, Bye, Bye is by NSYNC; Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! Is by ABBA; and Please Please Please is by Sabrina Carpenter.)