NYT Connections Hints and Answers for January 27, 2026, #961

Happy Tuesday, fellow puzzle aficionados! Is it just me, or is the humidity today playing a game of "sticky fingers" with everything in sight? As I struggled to sip my morning coffee without feeling like I was swimming through the air, I couldn't help but think of the puzzle-solving process. Sometimes, the clues seem to stick together like sweaty pages of a well-loved book, but fear not – a little patience and a keen eye for detail can help unravel even the stickiest of riddles.

In today's "Connections" challenge, keep an eye out for those sneaky color tiers – they might just lead you down a path to the solution. Remember, scanning for loose synonyms and watching out for cross-category decoys can be your best allies in untangling the web of interconnected clues. So, are you ready to dive in and give your brain a refreshing workout on this warm summer day?

Let's crack these puzzles together, shall we? Feel free to share hints or jump right in and join the fun. Who knows, you might just discover a cool breeze of satisfaction as you unravel each connection. 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
Reveal Answer

QUITE THE LAUGH

  • CARD
  • CHARACTER
  • CUTUP
  • JOKER
๐ŸŸฉ medium
Reveal Hint
Reveal Answer

NHL TEAM MEMBER

  • DEVIL
  • FLYER
  • PENGUIN
  • RANGER
๐ŸŸฆ hard
Reveal Hint
Reveal Answer

FIRST WORDS OF ROBIN HOOD CHARACTER NAMES

  • FRIAR
  • MAID
  • ROBIN
  • SHERIFF
๐ŸŸช tricky
Reveal Hint
Reveal Answer

STARTING WITH BASEBALL GEAR

  • BALLROOM
  • BASEMENT
  • BATMOBILE
  • CAPSTONE