NYT Connections Hints Today: Check Answers and Clues, January 16, 2026

The New York Times gives out a daily puzzle called Connections that requires users to take randomly selected 16 words and put them into four related groups of four. It provides an easy way to build on logic skills, use word association, and develop your pattern-identification skills while providing a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, when players figure out what groups they will build they find the "aha!" experience very enjoyable.

NYT Connections January 16, 2026 Puzzle #950, users were able to take the 16 words and divide them into the four unique groups. While some of the connections were simple to make, there were also challenging connections that could be made, so a wide variety of players enjoyed this experience as well.

Check Out: NYT Connections Hints Today: Check Answers and Clues, January 6, 2026

Hints for NYT Connections January 16, 2026  

Here are the hints for NYT Connections January 16, 2026 Puzzle #950. You have to club four words together which belong to the same catagory which will get sorted into 4 colours yellow, green, blue and purple. You just need to be good at pattern recognition and ability to sort them into correct categories. 

Yellow Group Hint: Kinds of Hats

Green Group Hint: Components of a Kid’s Bedtime Routine

Blue Group Hint: Musical Acts with 'A' as the Only Vowel

Purple Group Hint: Famous places or things that often start with the word ‘Grand’

Let us find out the answers to today’s NYT Connections! Let us see how many were you able to get right! 

NYT Connections Answers for January 16, 2026 (Friday)

Here are the solutions for NYT Connections Puzzle #949 for January 16, 2026! 

Below you will see the four categories from today’s game, including the correct words that make up each set. Match these answers to your guesses of each category!

YELLOW: KINDS OF HATS (DERBY, FEDORA, PANAMA, PORKPIE)

GREEN: COMPONENTS OF A KID’S BEDTIME ROUTINE (BATH, BRUSHING, PAJAMAS, STORY)

BLUE: MUSICAL ACTS WITH "A" AS THE ONLY VOWEL (ALABAMA, BANANARAMA, KANSAS, SANTANA)

PURPLE: GRAND ___ (BAHAMA, CANYON, PIANO, SLAM)

Let’s take the time to review the groups one at a time and look at the connections that bind these four groups together.

What is the NYT Connections Game?

The New York Times has developed the Connections Puzzle, a word-based game that offers players an opportunity each day to group 16 various words into 4 unique categories that belong together based on their similarities. 

Players need to use all 3 of these skills: vocabulary, logic and pattern recognition when playing the NYT Connections game, so they will need to also use patience as they strategically think through and logically reason out how to solve each NYT Connections puzzle. This game is designed to be a source of both fun and intellectual challenge for all ages.

How to Play the NYT Connections Puzzle?

In the NYT Connections Puzzle, players are presented with 16 words that seem completely unconnected. Players must figure out how to group the 16 words into four sets of 4 words each based on something that connects them. 

Some words may look like they will be part of two different groups, which requires players to think logically and pay attention to the details. Pattern recognition, strategic thinking, and a willingness to be wrong and keep trying are all important in completing the puzzle.

Best Strategies to Solve NYT Connections Puzzles

Before solving a NYT Connections puzzle, players should first identify the most easily identifiable word groups available. Identifying synonyms or word categories such as color, animal, shape or occupation can provide valuable assistance.

 By using the methods outlined above when playing the NYT Connections Puzzle, the player will have a greater chance of achieving success.

Other NYT Games to Explore

If NYT Connections has become your new favorite, check out other daily brain teasers and games from The New York Times. 

Wordle: Guess a five-letter word in six attempts. 

Spelling Bee: Craft as many words as possible from a set of seven letters.

Mini Crossword: For a quick wordplay, perfect for a coffee break.