Times Connections: Solutions Revealed for Festive Puzzle #562

The New York Times' Connections word puzzle for December 24th, 2024, challenges players to group words into four categories. Need a hand? This guide provides hints, partial solutions, and the complete answers, all without spoiling the fun completely.

Today's puzzle words are: Lions, Tigers, Bears, Oh My, Dear, Jays, Bills, Use, Bye, Bees, Please, Close, Tight, Gimme, Ease, and Intimate.

General Hints:

• The categories aren't about sports teams or animal types.
• "Bye" and "Gimme" belong in the same group.

Category Clues and Partial Solutions:

• Yellow (Easy): Think classic movie lines.

• Yellow (Solution): "Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!"

• Yellow (Complete Group): Bears, Lions, Oh My, Tigers

• Green (Medium): Consider synonyms for close friendships.

• Green (Solution): Describes a beloved friend.

• Green (Complete Group): Close, Dear, Intimate, Tight

• Blue (Hard): Focus on how the words sound; think plural letters.

• Blue (Solution): Words sounding like plural letters.

• Blue (Complete Group): Bees, Ease, Jays, Use

• Purple (Tricky): These words, tripled, form famous song titles.

• Purple (Solution): Tripled, they become hit song titles.

• Purple (Complete Group): Bills, Bye, Gimme, Please

Complete Solutions for NYT Connections #562 (December 24, 2024):

• Yellow: Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My! (Bears, Lions, Oh My, Tigers)
• Green: Beloved, as a Friend (Close, Dear, Intimate, Tight)
• Blue: Words that Sound Like Plural Letters (Bees, Ease, Jays, Use)
• Purple: When Tripled, Hit Song