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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love to eat.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 24, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Currency

• Green: To nibble

• Blue: Marine life

• Purple: Melodic sounds

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Slang for money

• Green: Masticate

• Blue: Fish

• Purple: Ways to vocalize musically plus a letter

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #927 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Slang for money: BACON, BREAD, CHEESE, PAPER

• Masticate: BITE, CHAMP, CHEW, MUNCH

• Fish: CHAR, POLLOCK, SOLE, TANG

• Ways to vocalize musically plus a letter: HUMP, RAPT, SINGE, WHISTLER

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 24, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you love to eat.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 24, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Currency

• Green: To nibble

• Blue: Marine life

• Purple: Melodic sounds

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Slang for money

• Green: Masticate

• Blue: Fish

• Purple: Ways to vocalize musically plus a letter

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #927 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Slang for money: BACON, BREAD, CHEESE, PAPER

• Masticate: BITE, CHAMP, CHEW, MUNCH

• Fish: CHAR, POLLOCK, SOLE, TANG

• Ways to vocalize musically plus a letter: HUMP, RAPT, SINGE, WHISTLER

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 24, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you prioritize comfort.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 24, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 24, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Gather around

The words are related to relaxation.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe comfort.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Snug as a Bug

NYT Strands word list for December 24

• Comfy

• Warm

• Soft

• Homey

• Snug as a Bug

• Cozy

• Pleasant

• Relaxing

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you prioritize comfort.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for December 24, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 24, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Gather around

The words are related to relaxation.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe comfort.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Snug as a Bug

NYT Strands word list for December 24

• Comfy

• Warm

• Soft

• Homey

• Snug as a Bug

• Cozy

• Pleasant

• Relaxing

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to sew.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 24, 2025 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 24, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

What a roll of thread sits on.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter O appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SPOOL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 24, 2025

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you love to sew.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for December 24, 2025 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for December 24, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

What a roll of thread sits on.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter O appears twice.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SPOOL

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for December 24, 2025

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

"iPhone Storage Full."

It's a dreaded notification that some iPhone users have come to experience. It happened to me at my most recent holiday gathering while taking family photos. It wasn't the first time, but it was certainly an inconvenient time.

Like most people who receive the storage full prompt, I immediately went to Settings, followed by General, then the iPhone Storage option in order to see what was taking up 256GB of space. Sure, I snap a lot of photos and there are dozens of apps on my phone that I no longer use that could be taking up much needed storage space. I hoped that if I found what was taking up so much space, I might be able to delete it and clear up some storage.

But, no. It wasn't photos, or apps, or files, or documents that were filling up my iPhone this time. It was "System Data." Eighty whole gigs of my iPhone, roughly one-third of its entire 256GB of storage, were being taken up by "System Data."

System Data on the author's iPhone ballooned to 80GB on Thanksgiving. Credit: Mashable screenshot

When I looked online, I found posts and threads on social media where other iPhone users shared their own System Data storage issues. One Reddit user had their System Data taking up as much as 128GB of their 256GB iPhone!

And worst of all, there's nothing we could do about it.

What is System Data?

When clicking on System Data, the very last thing on the iPhone Storage settings page where all your apps and their file sizes are listed, iOS provides a very general explanation of what System Data is.

"System Data includes caches, logs and other resources currently in use by the system," it reads. "This value will fluctuate according to system needs."

Here's how the iPhone describes "System Data." Credit: Mashable screenshot

To be clear, this isn't the drive space that the operating system needs. That's listed completely independently under iPhone storage. The same with data connected to each individual app. That's rolled into the size of each app. This is some vague other thing. I reached out to Apple for more information. 

"System Data encompasses caches, logs, and other resources currently in use by the system," Apple said. "This also includes temporary files that have a short lifecycle and are actively being used by iOS to keep the iPhone running smoothly."

You'll find that System Data fluctuates wildly. That 80GB of System Data on my iPhone that I mentioned earlier? It was down to 50GB the next morning.

"The size of System Data is managed by the system," Apple said. "When the temporary files are no longer needed, the system cleans them up automatically, so changes to the size of System Data are expected."

How can users clear iPhone's System Data?

According to Apple, System Data is basically what iOS decides it needs to store pertaining to apps and other processes that are currently running or being used. But, what if a user wants to remove those temporary files immediately to open up space. Is there anything a user can do?

"iOS is designed to monitor and optimize storage usage, removing as many temporary files and caches as possible to free up space as needed without any required action from the user," Apple said. "This automatic management takes into consideration the amount of available storage and helps ensure iPhone maintains optimal performance while preserving storage space. There isn’t a need for users to do this manually."

So, in short, no. There's nothing iPhone users can manually do to clear up unnecessary System Data when storage space is needed. iOS decides when and what to clean up. One Redditor on the previously mentioned Reddit thread even shared how their iPhone's 167GB of System Data suddenly dropped down to 4GB on its own.

However, based on what Apple says and my own experience, this is what I'd recommend:

As soon as you notice your System Data is getting out of control, close all your unused apps out completely. To do this, simply swipe starting from the bottom of the screen and go upwards. All of your open app windows should appear stacked one behind the other. Swipe those windows up to completely close out the app. The System Data won't clear up immediately. Again, Apple says users can't control this. However, closing those apps did appear to move the process along as those temporary files are no longer needed once the apps are closed.

Hopefully, one day, Apple will allow users to force iOS to clear up System Data. But, until then, this is the best iPhone users can do.