NYT Connections January 9 2026 Answers
Puzzle #943
EDITED BY WYNA LIUToday's 16-word board, in its starting order:
FORTH LEST CARDINAL DIRECTION 8 BALL SOLO CUP NON BLONDES OAST 3 BALL THIN ICE HEART EMOJI CHAINZ 6 MAFIA DEEP END COUTH LIMB
Category hints (no spoilers)
Yellow — THINGS THAT ARE RED
Green — USED IN METAPHORS FOR PRECARIOUS SITUATIONS
Blue — MUSICAL ARTISTS MINUS STARTING NUMBERS
Purple — CARDINAL DIRECTIONS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED
THINGS THAT ARE RED3 BALL, CARDINAL, HEART EMOJI, SOLO CUP
USED IN METAPHORS FOR PRECARIOUS SITUATIONS8 BALL, DEEP END, LIMB, THIN ICE
MUSICAL ARTISTS MINUS STARTING NUMBERS6 MAFIA, CHAINZ, DIRECTION, NON BLONDES
CARDINAL DIRECTIONS WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGEDCOUTH, FORTH, LEST, OAST
Checked against the official NYT Connections solution
How Connections works
Connections gives you 16 words that form four secret groups of four. Find each group — yellow is the easiest, then green, blue, and the famously tricky purple. You're allowed four mistakes. A new puzzle drops daily at midnight; play free at nytimes.com.