> At a Glance
> – The Jan 4 NYT Connections puzzle (#938) hides four butt-joke answers in the purple tier
> – Easiest yellow group covers newspaper terms; green focuses on spool synonyms
> – Blue tier tests NFL knowledge with defensive football actions
> – Why it matters: Daily players can track stats via the new Times Games dashboard and compare against five prior ultra-tough puzzles listed inside
The New York Times served up puzzle #938 on Jan 4, and it leans hard into playground humor while still testing sports lingo and mechanical vocabulary. Below, every answer group is spelled out so you can finish-or see where you tripped up.
Group Breakdown
Yellow asks for paper-publication words. They are:
- copy
- edition
- issue
Green wants spool relatives. The four matches are:
- coil
- crank
- reel
- wind
Blue is all about what a defensive football player does. Expect:
- blitz
- block
- sack
- tackle
The Gag Round
Purple is where the puzzle gets cheeky. Each entry is a synonym for “butt” that begins with the listed letter. The completed grid shows:
- drear (rear)
- etail (tail)
- grump (rump)
- scan (can)
Hardest Puzzles So Far
The Times keeps a running tally of brutal boards. Five that stumped the most players:
- Things that can run: candidate, faucet, mascara, nose
- Power ___: nap, plant, Ranger, trip
- Streets on screen: Elm, Fear, Jump, Sesame
- One in a dozen: egg, juror, month, rose
- Things you can set: mood, record, table, volleyball
## Key Takeaways
- Puzzle #938’s purple tier is a four-part butt pun
- Yellow, green, blue answers are straightforward once you spot the themes
- Registered users can now track wins, streaks and perfect games on the Connections Bot page
- If you’re stuck, scan for synonyms first, then pop-culture or sports angles
Finish the grid, check your stats, and you’ll know exactly how you stack up against the day’s 350,000-plus competitors.
