NYT Connections Answer

Happy Sunday, Connections fans! If you’re waking up on this January 4th trying to shake off the post-holiday brain fog, today’s puzzle might be just the wake-up call you need. Wyna Liu has delivered a grid that balances classic sports terminology with a very clever linguistic twist in the final category.

Whether you're looking for a small nudge or the full answer for 2026-01-04, I’ve got you covered. Let’s dive into today’s groupings!

Hints for Today’s Connections

Before we reveal the categories, here are some nudges to get your gears turning:

• Yellow Group: Think about what you'd call a specific physical version of a magazine or newspaper.
• Green Group: These words all describe the physical motion of wrapping something around a center point.
• Blue Group: If you’re a fan of the NFL, these terms should feel like home on a Sunday afternoon.
• Purple Group: This one is a wordplay category. Look at the last few letters of each word and see if they have something in common.

Yellow: Paper Publication

These words refer to the physical or specific release of a printed work. This was the most straightforward group today.

• COPY
• EDITION
• ISSUE
• PRINT

Explanation: Each of these terms describes a specific iteration of a periodical or book. "Did you get the latest ISSUE?" or "This is a first EDITION."

Green: Spool

This category focuses on the action or the result of winding something into a circular shape.

• COIL
• CRANK
• REEL
• WIND

Explanation: These are all verbs (or nouns) related to rotating something, usually to pull it in or store it, like a hose, a fishing line, or a film strip.

Blue: Things a Defensive Football Player Does

If you’re looking for an NYT Connections hint for the blue group, look no further than the gridiron.

• BLITZ
• BLOCK
• SACK
• TACKLE

Explanation: These are all standard defensive maneuvers in American football. Whether the linebacker is BLITZing the quarterback or a lineman is making a SACK, these are all about stopping the offense.

Purple: Synonyms for Butt Plus Starting Letter

This is where the puzzle gets truly devious! This category is a classic "hidden word" style grouping that Wyna Liu is famous for.

• DREAR (D + REAR)
• ETAIL (E + TAIL)
• GRUMP (G + RUMP)
• SCAN (S + CAN)

Explanation: If you remove the first letter of each word, you are left with a synonym for your backside: Rear, Tail, Rump, and Can. ETAIL (Electronic Tail) and DREAR (though usually "dreary") were the toughest ones to spot here!

Final Thoughts on Today's Puzzle

Today’s grid was a fun mix. The football category (Blue) and the publication category (Yellow) felt very accessible, but that Purple group was a real stumper. If you got caught up thinking "SCAN" was related to "PRINT" or "COPY," you aren't alone!

How did you do? Did you find the "butt" synonyms, or did the "CRANK" and "REEL" of the Green group trip you up?

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How do you play NYT Connections?

The goal is to find four groups of four words that share a common thread. Select four words and tap "Submit." You have four lives, and the goal is to solve the entire grid without making four mistakes.

What do the colors mean in Connections?

The colors represent the difficulty level assigned by the editor:

• Yellow: Straightforward/easiest.
• Green: Common knowledge or slightly more complex.
• Blue: Often involves specific trivia or technical terms.
• Purple: The trickiest category, usually involving wordplay or puns.

When does NYT Connections reset?

New puzzles are released daily at midnight in your local time zone on the New York Times Games app and website.

Can there be more than one correct answer?

Each puzzle has only one "perfect" solution where every word fits into exactly one category. While some words might seem to fit in multiple places, the challenge is finding the arrangement that works for all sixteen words.