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Connections Hints for December 11, 2025 #913

Pro tip: Tap each section to reveal answers one at a time. If you just need a gentle hint, get the connection hint for December 11, 2025 #913

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Yellow Category — December 11, 2025

Green Category — December 11, 2025

Blue Category — December 11, 2025

Purple Category — December 11, 2025

Tricky Words in Today's Connections

Definitions for the most unusual words in today's puzzle

Yellow group — THINGS SEEN IN A YARD

Why is “GNOME” in the Yellow group?

a small statue of a mythical creature, often found in gardens

Blue group — ANAGRAMS

Why is “SERAS” in the Blue group?

a rare or obsolete word, anagram of 'SEAR' and 'ARES'

Word definitions

Tricky words in today's Connections (December 11, 2025)

Several words in today's puzzle have multiple meanings or obscure definitions that can throw you off. Here's what each one means in the context of this Connections grid.

SEAR
Definition: to burn or char something
Why it's tricky: can also refer to a cooking technique
ELLE
Definition: a French pronoun meaning 'she' or 'her'
Why it's tricky: also the name of a fashion magazine
ARES
Definition: the Greek god of war
Why it's tricky: also a common anagram and homophone
QUEUE
Definition: a line of people waiting for something
Why it's tricky: also a data structure in computer science

Connections #913 explained

Why these words connect (December 11, 2025)

Understanding the logic behind each group helps you spot similar patterns in future puzzles. Here's the reasoning for every category in today's Connections.

Yellow group: THINGS SEEN IN A YARD

These are all objects that can be found in a typical yard, including decorative items and functional features.

Green group: ANAGRAMS

These are all words that are anagrams of each other, meaning they contain the same letters in a different order, such as 'ARES' and 'SEAR'.

Blue group: LETTER HOMOPHONES

These are all words that are homophones of each other, meaning they sound the same when spoken, such as 'ARE' and 'ELLE'.

Purple group: DUST ___

These are all words that can complete the phrase 'dust ___', such as 'dust bowl' or 'dust devil'.

Red herrings and trap words explained

These words were designed to mislead you. Understanding why they don't belong where you first think sharpens your game for tomorrow.

BOWL

Seems like it belongs to: THINGS SEEN IN A YARD

Actually belongs to: DUST ___

while a bowl can be found in a yard, in this context it's part of the phrase 'dust bowl'

SEAR

Seems like it belongs to: LETTER HOMOPHONES

Actually belongs to: ANAGRAMS

while 'sear' sounds like other words, it's actually part of an anagram group

ELLE

Seems like it belongs to: DUST ___

Actually belongs to: LETTER HOMOPHONES

while 'elle' sounds like 'ell', it's actually a homophone for other words

Today's Tricky Traps — Red Herrings Explained

These words look like they belong in one group but actually fit somewhere else entirely.

Why “BOWL” didn't go with THINGS SEEN IN A YARD

Seems like: THINGS SEEN IN A YARD → Actually: DUST ___

while a bowl can be found in a yard, in this context it's part of the phrase 'dust bowl'

Why “SEAR” didn't go with LETTER HOMOPHONES

Seems like: LETTER HOMOPHONES → Actually: ANAGRAMS

while 'sear' sounds like other words, it's actually part of an anagram group

Why “ELLE” didn't go with DUST ___

Seems like: DUST ___ → Actually: LETTER HOMOPHONES

while 'elle' sounds like 'ell', it's actually a homophone for other words

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