December 19, 2025

NYT Connections Hint - December 19, 2025

Hey there, puzzle enthusiasts! It’s another day of Connections, and today’s blend of categories has a little something for everyone—from playful pronunciation puzzles to real-world government trivia. Did any particular grouping stump you? I’ll admit the ship-parking homophones made me pause and re-listen a couple of times! Let’s walk through today’s hints and answers together, section by section.

Word Explanations

  • COOK

    • Cook is someone who prepares food or the act of preparing a meal. Personal note: Cooking is my weekend unwind ritual—nothing beats a cozy kitchen session. It’s also a role: “The chef will cook tonight.”

  • DATA

    • Data refers to facts, figures, or information collected for reference or analysis. Fun twist: In tech circles, “raw data” is like uncooked ingredients—both need processing!

  • WORF

    • Worf, pronounced like “wharf” (a place to dock a ship), is a character known for his roles in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. This is the homophone angle for today’s tricky category.

  • LABOR

    • Labor means work, especially physical or manual work, or the U.S. Department of Labor that handles worker rights,就业 standards, and economic data. I always think of it as “people power.”

  • BIRTH

    • Birth is the emergence of a baby or young from the mother, but here it sounds like “berth”—a place where a ship is moored. That subtle shift is where today’s wordplay lives.

  • ENERGY

    • Energy means power derived from physical or chemical resources to do work or produce heat. You’ll also see it as a U.S. cabinet department since 1977—shaping national energy policy and security.

  • DELIVERY

    • Delivery is the action of bringing goods or services to a destination. Fun fact: I treat “delivery day” like an event—snacks ready, notifications on, and the wait game begins.

  • PEER

    • Peer is someone of the same age or status, or to look closely at something. In today’s category, it also sounds like “pier,” a structure where ships can dock. That little vowel change changes everything.

  • INTELLIGENCE

    • Intelligence is the capacity to acquire and apply knowledge, or useful information gathered from investigation. Military folks will recognize it as strategic intel—what gets decisions moving.

  • EDUCATION

    • Education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, also a federal cabinet department dealing with schools, financial aid, and national academic standards.

  • GO OUT

    • Go out means to leave one’s home to go somewhere, often for entertainment or dining. It’s also the “let’s not cook tonight” option in today’s dinner category.

  • INFORMATION

    • Information is facts provided or learned about something, or knowledge communicated by various means. In research terms, it’s one step up from raw data—organized and interpretable.

  • DOC

    • Doc is a casual abbreviation for doctor or document. In the homophone category, it sounds like “dock”—that spot where ships get parked and loaded. Casual word, serious puzzle role.

  • DETAILS

    • Details are individual features or facts about something. In research, they’re the small pieces that build up the bigger picture—you can’t skip them if you want accuracy.

  • COMMERCE

    • Commerce is the activity of buying and selling, especially on a large scale. In government, the Department of Commerce oversees trade, economic growth, and statistical research—huge stuff.

  • LEFTOVERS

    • Leftovers are surplus amounts of food remaining after a meal. They’re also an easy dinner option—just reheat and you’re good to go. I’m Team Leftovers half the week!

Theme Hints

  1. HOMOPHONES OF PLACES TO PARK A SHIP

    • Look for words that sound like they could be attached to a harbor or dock. This one plays with pronunciation more than spelling—listen closely! ⛵

  2. U.S. CABINET DEPARTMENTS

    • Think about big, high-level government branches. What parts of the federal government handle business, schooling, work, and power?

  3. DINNER OPTIONS

    • What are your go-to moves when dinner time rolls around? Think home-cooked, takeout, restaurant, or last night’s pasta. 🍝

  4. FINDINGS

    • Think about the results of research or digging deeper. What do you “find” when you look closely, gather lots, or analyze the big picture?

Answers Explanation

Click to reveal answers!

  1. HOMOPHONES OF PLACES TO PARK A SHIP

    :BIRTH,DOC,PEER,WORF

    • Think of where you park or dock something. Then try saying it differently, say with a different accent or like it sounds like another word. These all are things that might happen at a certain place, or sound like something you could do at a place where you park things like ships.

  2. U.S. CABINET DEPARTMENTS

    :COMMERCE,EDUCATION,ENERGY,LABOR

    • All four are major cabinet-level departments within the U.S. federal government. These power various aspects of national policy, from commerce and trade to schooling, energy, and the workforce.

  3. DINNER OPTIONS

    :COOK,DELIVERY,GO OUT,LEFTOVERS

    • Four everyday ways people decide what’s for dinner. Whether you cook at home, order delivery, go out to eat, or repurpose leftovers, these are all simple choices we make when meal planning.

  4. FINDINGS

    :DATA,DETAILS,INFORMATION,INTELLIGENCE

    • All of these describe the outcome of inquiry, investigation, or analysis. Whether it’s raw data, granular details, broader information, or actionable intelligence, you can think of them as different layers of what you “find out.”

What's your strategy for sorting these tricky connections? Did you start with the more obvious options like cabinet departments, or did the homophones trip you up too? Share your process below—by swapping stories, we all get a little smarter for tomorrow's puzzle. Good luck and keep puzzling!