NYT Connections Hints and Answers for January 17, 2026, #951

Happy Saturday, puzzlers! I hope your morning started smoother than mine – a classic case of a tech glitch causing a Wi-Fi dropout right in the middle of a virtual meeting. The frozen screen felt like a modern art piece frozen in time, with the only movement being my frantic attempts to reconnect. Oh, the joys of technology!

As we dive into today's "Connections" puzzle, keep an eye out for those sneaky color tiers. Remember, sometimes the most straightforward path might lead you astray. Scan for loose synonyms and watch out for cross-category decoys trying to throw you off course. It's a puzzle jungle out there, but I know you're up for the challenge!

Now, here's a riddle for you: what's a puzzle without a solver? Just a jumble of letters waiting to be unraveled! So, grab your thinking cap, dust off your detective skills, and let's crack this code together. Need a hint or just want to share your progress? Feel free to jump in anytime. Happy puzzling!

How to Play NYT Connections

Overview

Connections is a daily word puzzle game from The New York Times. The goal is to find groups of four words that share something in common. You’re presented with 16 words arranged in a 4ร—4 grid, and you must identify four groups of four related words.

Basic Rules

  • You have 16 words total, arranged in a 4ร—4 grid
  • There are exactly 4 groups of 4 related words each
  • Each word belongs to exactly one group
  • You must find all four groups to complete the puzzle
  • You have 4 mistakes allowed before the game ends

How to Play

  • Look at all 16 words and try to identify patterns or connections
  • Select 4 words you think belong together by clicking/tapping them
  • Click “Submit” to check if your group is correct
  • If correct, those 4 words will be removed and grouped together
  • If incorrect, you lose one of your 4 allowed mistakes
  • Continue until you find all 4 groups or run out of mistakes

Difficulty Levels

The four groups are color-coded by difficulty:

  • ๐ŸŸจ YELLOW: Easiest – usually straightforward categories
  • ๐ŸŸฉ GREEN: Easy-Medium – slightly more complex connections
  • ๐ŸŸฆ BLUE: Medium-Hard – trickier associations or wordplay
  • ๐ŸŸช PURPLE: Hardest – often involves puns, multiple meanings, or very subtle connections

Strategy Tips

  • Start with the most obvious connections first
  • Be careful of red herrings – words that seem to fit multiple categories
  • If you’re unsure, try to eliminate what doesn’t belong first
  • The purple group often involves wordplay, homophones, or very creative connections
  • Don’t guess randomly – you only have 4 mistakes

Scoring

  • Complete the puzzle to see your results
  • Mistakes are tracked but don’t affect your final score
  • Share your results with friends using the share button
  • Results show how many mistakes you made for each group
๐ŸŸจ easy
Reveal Hint

Keeps you warm and cozy

Reveal Answer

SPREAD OVER

  • BLANKET
  • COAT
  • COVER
  • PLASTER
๐ŸŸฉ medium
Reveal Hint

Send something through the air

Reveal Answer

THROW

  • CAST
  • HURL
  • PELT
  • SLING
๐ŸŸฆ hard
Reveal Hint

Mix up these letters

Reveal Answer

ANAGRAMS

  • INKS
  • KINS
  • SINK
  • SKIN
๐ŸŸช tricky
Reveal Hint

Common activities in children's play

Reveal Answer

FIRST WORDS OF KIDS' GAMES

  • CAPTURE
  • HIDE
  • RED
  • SIMON