NYT Connections Today: Hints, Answers, and Groups for January

Looking for today’s NYT Connections puzzle solutions? You’ve come to the right place! On January 22, 2026, Connections #956 brings another fun mix of word groups that challenge your pattern recognition skills. Whether you’re stuck and need Connections hints today or want the full NYT Connections answers, this guide has you covered without ruining the fun too early.

The New York Times Connections game tasks you with sorting 16 words into four themed groups of four. Today’s puzzle features clever categories ranging from straightforward descriptors to a tricky hidden-word twist.

Today’s Connections Words (January 22, 2026)

Here are the 16 words in the grid:

• Timer
• Fumble
• Spiny
• Sharp
• Turnover
• Ellen
• Crisp
• Miss
• Use
• Clear
• Cobbler
• Trip
• Crumble
• Fluff
• Distinct
• Strudel

NYT Connections Hints Today

Struggling to spot the groups? These gentle Connections hints will nudge you in the right direction without giving everything away:

•  Yellow (easiest): Think about image quality or photo clarity — words that describe something sharp and precise visually.
•  Green: Sweet baked treats that often feature fruit fillings.
•  Blue: Ways you might mess up or make a mistake (often in sports or performance contexts).
•  Purple (hardest): A clever twist — take popular magazine names and add or change one letter to form new words.

Still need more help? Scroll slowly for one revealing word per group:

• Yellow hint reveal: Distinct
• Green hint reveal: Turnover
• Blue hint reveal: Trip
• Purple hint reveal: Timer

Full NYT Connections Answers Today (#956)

Here are the complete groups and their themes:

•  Yellow: Well-defined, as an image CLEAR, CRISP, DISTINCT, SHARP
•  Green: Fruit desserts COBBLER, CRUMBLE, STRUDEL, TURNOVER
•  Blue: Bungle FLUFF, FUMBLE, MISS, TRIP
•  Purple: Magazines plus a letter ELLEN (from Elle), SPINY (from Spin), TIMER (from Time), USE (from Us)

The purple category is the trickiest — each word hides a famous magazine name by adding or altering one letter!

How to Play NYT Connections

Play daily at the official site: nytimes.com/games/connections. It’s free with limited plays or unlimited with a subscription. New puzzles drop every day around midnight ET.

Missed yesterday’s puzzle or want to track your streak? Check the Connections archive after logging in.

Come back tomorrow for fresh NYT Connections hints and answers! Share your solve in the comments — did you get it in one go, or did the purple group trip you up?

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