Connections Answers

Monday, December 29, 2025

1

TENDENCY

These words describe the general path, movement, or inclination that something follows. They show how things usually go or develop over time.
Individual words:
COURSE: The usual path or way something moves or develops over time. For example, the 'course' of a river or a conversation.
DIRECTION: The way something is generally moving or developing. Like the 'direction' a company is heading or a wind blows.
TIDE: The strong general movement or flow of the ocean, but also public opinion or events. 'Turning the tide' means changing the tendency.
TREND: A general change or development in how things are going, often seen in fashion, opinions, or data. A popular 'trend' is something many people are doing.
2

BIOLOGICAL STRUCTURES

These are all fundamental parts or components found in living organisms, from the smallest units to groups of units working together.
Individual words:
CELL: The smallest basic unit of life. All living things, like plants, animals, and humans, are made of many tiny cells.
GENE: A part of your DNA that carries information from parents to children, like eye color or height. It's a blueprint.
PROTEIN: An important substance found in food (like meat, eggs, beans) and in your body. It helps build muscles and repair cells.
TISSUE: A group of similar cells that work together to do a specific job in the body. Examples are muscle tissue or skin tissue.
3

SUMMER OLYMPIC EVENTS

These are all major sports categories or specific events held during the Summer Olympic Games.
Individual words:
ATHLETICS: In the Olympics, 'athletics' usually means track and field events like running, jumping, and throwing, testing human speed and strength.
EQUESTRIAN: This refers to sports involving horses, such as show jumping and dressage. Riders compete with their horses as a team.
SWIMMING: The sport of moving through water using your body. The Olympics feature many different swimming races and styles.
TRIATHLON: A challenging Olympic event where athletes compete in three consecutive sports: swimming, cycling (biking), and then running.
4

CAR BRAND HOMOPHONES

These words are 'homophones' for car brands. This means they sound exactly like the name of a car company, but are spelled differently and have a different meaning. For example, 'INFINITY' sounds like the car brand 'Infiniti'.
Individual words:
INFINITY: A number or amount that is endless, bigger than anything you can count. It means something goes on forever.
MINNIE: This is often a nickname for names like Minerva or Mary. You might know Minnie Mouse, a famous cartoon character.
OPAL: A beautiful, colorful gemstone often used in jewelry. It can be white or blue with flashes of many other colors.
OUTIE: An informal term for a belly button that pushes outwards a little, instead of curving inwards.
NYT Connections Answers for Monday, December 29, 2025 | ESL Explanations | NYT Games ESL