Issue #959 Sun 25 Jan
NYT Connections Hints & Answer — January 25, 2026
A steady, thoughtful grid that rewards a methodical approach to sorting. The connections here are straightforward, though they demand a bit of patience to separate the literal from the linguistic.
yellow group 7 hints
Yellow group hints
The phone rings while you are in the shower, and the person who usually manages the desk is out for the afternoon.
Professional roles and workplace dynamics
Synonymous roles
Members are 3–7 letters; first letters C, F, S, T.
ACT AS A BACKUP
One is COVER.
COVER · FILL IN · SUB · TEMP
green group 7 hints
Green group hints
Your finger hovers over the board, waiting for the right moment to toggle a setting or finalize a command.
Computing hardware
Specific interface controls
Members are 3–7 letters; first letters A, E, M, W.
PC KEYBOARD KEYS
One is ALT.
ALT · ENTER · MENU · WINDOWS
blue group 7 hints
Blue group hints
Boiling water in a heavy pot, watching the dried shapes soften and expand until they are ready for the colander.
Culinary forms
Physical objects identified by silhouette
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters B, R, S, T.
PASTA SHAPES
One is BOWTIE.
BOWTIE · RIBBON · SHELL · TUBE
violet group 7 hints
Violet group hints
The letters at the end of a word that change its entire purpose, shifting a person into a state of being.
Linguistic components
Grammatical building blocks
Members are 3–4 letters; first letters A, D, H, S.
SUFFIXES
One is ATE.
ATE · DOM · HOOD · SHIP
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
ACT AS A BACKUPCOVER · FILL IN · SUB · TEMP
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Reveal the green group
PC KEYBOARD KEYSALT · ENTER · MENU · WINDOWS
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Reveal the blue group
PASTA SHAPESBOWTIE · RIBBON · SHELL · TUBE
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Reveal the violet group
SUFFIXESATE · DOM · HOOD · SHIP
Verified solution for .
Frequently asked questions
Spoiler-free help for Connections on January 25, 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 25, 2026, or browse every Connections puzzle in the archive.
How hard is NYT Connections on January 25, 2026?
NYT Connections on January 25, 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 25, 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 #959?
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