Title: Decrypting the NYT 'Connections' Puzzle for January 26
Hey there, folks! Hope your weekend's treating you well.
So when things aren't quite going according to plan (or sometimes even when they are), I've got a couple of phrases I like to use with my partner:
- This too shall pass.
- It'll all be allright in the end. If it's not allright, it's not the end.
I stumbled upon these a while back, in a radio interview with none other than Mr. Tom Hanks. You can catch that segment here, starting at 12:32.
I've always been a fan of giving praise and criticism equal weight. Hearing Tom distill that mindset down to a couple of pithy phrases left an impression. I hope they help you out too.
Now, if you're looking for Friday's Connections hints and answers, you can find them here. But if you're following along with my weekly column here, there's a fun little proposition: I've started a Connections discussion group on Discord!
It's a great space to chat about each week's game and share strategies. I'm always excited to learn how other folks approach Connections, so join us! It's a blast.
Speaking of Connections, today's New York Times puzzle is right around the corner. Before we dive into that, let's take a quick look at how to play.
How to Play Connections
Connections is a popular, daily word game from the New York Times. You can play it every day at midnight, either on the New York Times website or their Games app.
You're presented with a 4x4 grid filled with 16 words. Your goal is to arrange these words into four groups of four, based on discovering links between the words. The groups could be items that can be clicked, names for research study participants, or words preceded by body parts, for example.
There's only one solution for each puzzle, so be wary of words that could potentially fit in multiple categories. You can shuffle the words to potentially help you see connections between them.
Each group is color-coded: yellow is usually the easiest, green and blue fall in the middle, while purple is the most challenging. This last group often involves wordplay.
To submit a group, simply select the four words you think go together and press "Submit." If you guess incorrectly, you'll lose a life. If you're quite close, you may see a message telling you you're just one word away, but you'll still need to figure out which one.
Three incorrect guesses, and the game's over. Let's make sure that doesn't happen with some hints (and if you're really struggling, today's Connections answers are just around the corner).
If you have a New York Times All Access or Games subscription, you can access their Connections archive. This includes past games, so you can hop back into past puzzles.
Connections Hints, Groups, and Answers: Sunday, January 26
Hints
Scroll gradually! Just after the hints for each group in today's Connections, we'll reveal the group names without divulging the specific words.
Here are the 16 words for today's puzzle:
- RAVEN
- SILO
- HITCH
- PROMO
- TRAILER
- DISCOG
- FISH
- TRACTOR
- BALLY
- FARM
- CLOISTER
- GATHER
- SEPARATE
- HUNT
- AXLES
- SECLUDE
The hints for today's Connections groups are:
- Yellow group — retail alternatives
- Green group — keep apart
- Blue group — transportation industry components
- Purple group — dance events with additional letters
Groups
Need a little extra help? Be cautious—we're getting into spoiler territory.
Here are today's Connections groups:
- Yellow group — ways to acquire food
- Green group — distance maintainers
- Blue group — big rig parts
- Purple group — events and extra letters
Answers
Spoiler alert! Stop scrolling unless you're ready to find out today's Connections answers.
This is your final warning.
Today's Connections answers are:
- Yellow group — ways to acquire food (FARM, FISH, GATHER, HUNT)
- Green group — distance maintainers (CLOISTER, SECLUDE, SEPARATE, SILO)
- Blue group — big rig parts (AXLES, HITCH, TRACTOR, TRAILER)
- Purple group — events and extra letters (BALLY, DISCOG, PROMO, RAVEN)
As my Connections win streak extended to a fortunate 14 games (with 11 perfect scores under my belt), I couldn't help but feel like I'd stepped into the Matrix. Here's how I did:
🟩🟩🟩🟩
🟨🟨🟨🟨
🟦🟦🟦🟦
🟪🟪🟪🟪
I instantly recognized the wordplay going on with DISCOG and BALLY, so I focused on those as likely members of the purple group. I then turned my attention to the greens. CLOISTER was throwing me off a bit, but I knew I was on the right track.
The yellows were the next order of business, followed by the blues. It was with these that I finally found the winning connections. I didn't figure out the purple group connection, but hey—it was the weekend, and I'd earned a break.
And that's a wrap for today's Connections hints and answers. I'll be back tomorrow with hints and solutions for Monday's game if you need them.
Ancillary Information
Enrichment Data:
Connections is a daily, word-based puzzle from the New York Times, where the goal is to make connections between the given words. Here is a possible interpretation for the given words:
- RAVEN — A bird often associated with omens and mysterious happenings.
- SILO — A structure made for storing grain or agricultural products.
- HITCH — A device used to connect a trailer to a vehicle.
- PROMO — A term commonly used for marketing or advertising promotions.
- TRAILER — A short motion picture that precedes a feature film.
- DISCOG — Short for discography, a collection of recorded music.
- FISH — Aquatic animals that are often caught for food.
- TRACTOR — A heavy-duty vehicle used for agricultural work.
- BALLY — A term derived from a word for wrestling and now used to describe promotional events.
- FARM — Land with the purpose of growing crops or raising livestock.
- CLOISTER — A place where monks or nuns live and work.
- GATHER — To collect or gather people or things in one place.
- SEPARATE — To divide, to keep apart.
- HUNT — To pursue game for food or sport.
- AXLES — The shafts that connect wheels to the vehicle frame.
- SECLUDE — To isolate or hide something or someone.
Today's puzzle might involve connecting all these words through a common theme or characteristic, such as their use in a specific context or their relevance to a particular activity.
There you have it! Connections has proven to be a fun and rewarding challenge, and I hope you all enjoy playing as much as I do. Have a great week, and I'll catch you for Monday's game. Stay hydrated!
- If you're eager to discuss this week's New York Times Connections puzzle and share strategies, join the Connections discussion group on Discord.
- For those looking for hints and solutions for today's Connections puzzle, you can find them in my weekly column.
- Are you a fan of the New York Times Connections puzzle and want to test your skills against the previous puzzles? You can access the Connections archive with your New York Times All Access or Games subscription.
- This Sunday's New York Times Connections puzzle offers interesting connections between words such as RAVEN, SILO, HITCH, and PROMO. Be sure to use the hints and solve the puzzle to uncover the connections.
