NYT Connections puzzle for Jan. 22, 2026 is a daily word-game challenge that tests players’ ability to spot hidden words that share a common theme.
**At a Glance
- Puzzle released on Jan. 22, 2026.
- Four color groups: yellow, green, blue, purple.
- Each group hides four words that fit a specific theme.
- Solvers can earn a numeric score and see how they compare to other players.
Why it matters: The puzzle offers a quick mental workout and a snapshot of how language can be twisted for fun.
Puzzle Overview
The NYT Connections puzzle is part of the New York Times’ daily games collection. It presents a grid of letters and asks players to find words that are “hidden inside other words.” Each puzzle is split into four color groups, each with its own theme. Players can use a Connections Bot on the Times website to track their progress and see their win rate, number of perfect scores, and streaks.
Category Breakdown
The puzzle’s color groups are organized as follows:
| Color | Hint | Theme | Example Answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Easy to see | Well-defined, as an image | Clear, Crisp, Distinct, Sharp |
| Green | After-dinner sweet treat | Fruit desserts | Cobbler, Crumble, Strudel, Turnover |
| Blue | Whoops! | Bungle | Fluff, Fumble, Miss, Trip |
| Purple | Periodical titles, with a twist | Magazines plus a letter | Ellen (Elle), Spiny (Spin), Timer (Time), Use (Us) |
Each row of the table shows the color, the hint given to players, the overarching theme, and the four words that fit that theme. The puzzle’s design encourages players to think about synonyms, wordplay, and hidden meanings.
Answers & Themes
The solutions are straightforward once the theme is understood. For the yellow group, the words are clear, crisp, distinct, and sharp. These all describe something that is well-defined, mirroring the hint. The green group’s answers-cobbler, crumble, strudel, turnover-are all fruit desserts, matching the “after-dinner sweet treat” hint. In the blue group, the words fluff, fumble, miss, and trip all relate to a mistake or bungle. Finally, the purple group’s answers are Ellen (a play on Elle), spiny (a twist on Spin), timer (a twist on Time), and use (a twist on Us), all derived from magazine titles plus an extra letter.
Puzzle History & Difficulty
The NYT Connections puzzle has become a staple of the Times’ gaming section. The puzzle’s difficulty varies from day to day, but the purple group is typically the toughest because it requires players to think about word transformations. The Times even offers a Connections Bot that gives players a numeric score and lets them compare their performance to other registered users. The puzzle’s design encourages repeated play, as players can track their win streaks and perfect-score counts.
Why It Matters
NYT Connections puzzles provide more than entertainment; they offer a quick mental exercise that can improve vocabulary, pattern recognition, and problem-solving skills. The puzzle’s popularity is reflected in the Times’ decision to provide a bot that tracks player statistics, indicating a dedicated community of solvers. For casual readers, the puzzle is a light-hearted break in the day, while for dedicated players it can be a competitive challenge.
The Marcus L. Bennett Behind the Puzzle
The puzzle’s description and hints were prepared by Marcus L. Bennett, a seasoned editor at News Of Los Angeles. With a career that began in 1989 and spans outlets such as the Minneapolis Star Tribune and NBC News Digital, Marcus L. Bennett brings a deep understanding of pop culture and wordplay. She has co-authored two Gen X pop-culture encyclopedias for Penguin Books and has received multiple awards for headline writing, including the American Copy Editors Society’s Headline Writer of the Year in 2017, 2014, and 2013.
Final Thoughts
For those who enjoy word puzzles, the NYT Connections puzzle on Jan. 22, 2026 offers a balanced mix of easy and challenging themes. Whether you’re solving the puzzle for fun or tracking your progress against other players, it remains a compelling part of the New York Times’ daily offerings.
