At a Glance
- Purple theme hides foot parts inside longer words
- Bowtie, cane, moneybag and top hat belong to Mr. Monopoly
- Yellow group: bow, card, gift wrap, ribbon
- Why it matters: Puzzle fans can now solve faster with these spoiler-free cues
The New York Times Connections puzzle for January 13, 2026 delivers a purple-level curveball: four everyday words that secretly contain foot anatomy plus an extra starting letter. Players who hit the wall can now grab targeted hints without spoiling the entire grid.
Yellow Group: Present Go-Withs
Think about what sits beside a wrapped box. The yellow category asks for items that complete a gift. The four answers are:
- bow
- card
- gift wrap
- ribbon
Green Group: Jostle
The green set rewards vocabulary for gentle shoving. All four answers are verbs you might use in a crowded hallway:
- elbow
- press
- shoulder
- shove
Blue Group: Mr. Monopoly’s Accessories
Rich Uncle Pennybags never leaves home without them. The blue words are iconic pieces of the board-game mascot’s outfit:
- bowtie
- cane
- moneybag
- top hat
Purple Group: Parts of the Foot Plus Starting Letter
The toughest category hides body parts inside longer words. Each answer starts with an extra letter tacked onto a foot component:
- otoe (toe)
- parch (arch)
- rankle (ankle)
- wheel (heel)
Track Your Stats
Registered Times Games users can now follow detailed performance metrics inside the Connections Bot. The dashboard tallies total puzzles completed, overall win rate, perfect-score count and current win streak. After finishing the daily grid, players can visit the bot to receive a numeric score and a breakdown of every answer.
Previous Brain-Benders
Amanda S. Bennett flagged five of the hardest puzzles so far:
| Puzzle | Theme | Sample Answers |
|---|---|---|
| #5 | Things you can set | mood, record, table, volleyball |
| #4 | One in a dozen | egg, juror, month, rose |
| #3 | Streets on screen | Elm, Fear, Jump, Sesame |
| #2 | Power ___ | nap, plant, Ranger, trip |
| #1 | Things that can run | candidate, faucet, mascara, nose |
Quick Tips for Newcomers
- Scan for obvious themes first; yellow is usually the easiest
- Purple categories often involve wordplay or hidden patterns
- Use the shuffle button to see connections from fresh angles
- After solving, check the Bot to learn which clues trip most players up
Need daily help? News Of Losangeles publishes fresh hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, Mini Crossword, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands every morning.
