Issue #938 Sun 4 Jan
NYT Connections Hints & Answer — January 4, 2026
Today's grid asks for a steady hand. You will find two groups that reward reading aloud and two that demand a closer look at the spelling on the page.
yellow group 7 hints
Yellow group hints
The smell of fresh ink on newsprint and the stack left at the end of the driveway.
Journalism industry terminology
Synonyms for a single unit of media
Members are 4–7 letters; first letters C, E, I, P.
PAPER PUBLICATION
One is COPY.
COPY · EDITION · ISSUE · PRINT
green group 7 hints
Green group hints
The fishing line snagged in the tall reeds or the garden hose tangled around the spigot.
Mechanical rotation and storage
Verbs of circular motion
Members are 4–5 letters; first letters C, R, W.
SPOOL
One is COIL.
COIL · CRANK · REEL · WIND
blue group 7 hints
Blue group hints
The sound of a whistle blowing and the sudden collision of pads on the turf.
Professional football maneuvers
Actions taken by a defensive unit
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters B, S, T.
THINGS A DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYER DOES
One is BLITZ.
BLITZ · BLOCK · SACK · TACKLE
violet group 7 hints
Violet group hints
A missed step in a sequence that leaves a letter dangling where it does not belong.
Linguistic wordplay
Compound construction through character addition
Members are 4–5 letters; first letters D, E, G, S.
SYNONYMS FOR BUTT PLUS STARTING LETTER
One is DREAR.
DREAR · ETAIL · GRUMP · SCAN
Spoiler zone
Complete Connections answer
Open only the solution you want to see. Each answer stays hidden until you choose to reveal it.
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Reveal the yellow group
PAPER PUBLICATIONCOPY · EDITION · ISSUE · PRINT
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Reveal the green group
SPOOLCOIL · CRANK · REEL · WIND
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Reveal the blue group
THINGS A DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYER DOESBLITZ · BLOCK · SACK · TACKLE
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Reveal the violet group
SYNONYMS FOR BUTT PLUS STARTING LETTERDREAR · ETAIL · GRUMP · SCAN
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Connections on January 4, 2026. Every answer below helps you along without giving the game away — ready to see the full solution? See the complete Connections answer for January 4, 2026, or browse every Connections puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Connections on January 4, 2026?
NYT Connections on January 4, 2026 rates 3 out of 4 on our difficulty scale — a tougher-than-average puzzle. As always you sort sixteen words into four colour-coded groups, and our hints tease what links each group without ever naming the words.
What's a spoiler-free hint for NYT Connections on January 4, 2026?
The hint ladder above starts with a one-line vibe for each of the four groups, then adds the connecting idea, then the wording of each category. You climb only as far as you need, and no grouped words are shown until the final reveal.
How many groups are in NYT Connections #938?
Four groups of four, ordered from the gentlest to the trickiest. For the categories and the sixteen words themselves, open the answer section on this page — the hints here keep them hidden.
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words
Today on Cluestand
Today
- Difficulty
- Stiff
- At a glance
- 4 groups · 16 words