Hints and Solutions for NYT Connections: January 1, 2026

The NYT Connections puzzle for today is not overly difficult if you have an interest in witchcraft.

Connections is a highly favored word game by the New York Times that has drawn significant public interest. This game consists of identifying “common threads among words.” Similar to Wordle, Connections refreshes after midnight, with each new collection of words becoming more challenging—therefore, we’ve offered hints and advice to assist you in conquering the puzzle.

If you’re looking for the solution to today’s puzzle, navigate to the conclusion of this article. If not, continue reading for hints, advice, and techniques to help you.

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What is Connections?

The NYT‘s newest daily word challenge has turned into a viral phenomenon on social media. The Times attributes the creation of this innovative word game to associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, who brought it to the Games section of the publication. Connections is playable on web browsers and mobile platforms, requiring participants to categorize four words that have a shared characteristic.

Each puzzle contains 16 words, divided into four groups. These categories can incorporate anything from titles of books, software applications, names of countries, etc. While several words may appear to fit together, there is a single correct grouping.

If a player correctly identifies all four words in a category, those words are eliminated from the board. A wrong guess counts as a mistake—players are allowed up to four errors before the game concludes.

Players also have the option to rearrange and shuffle the board to assist in finding connections. Moreover, each group is color-coded, with yellow being the simplest, succeeded by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share your outcomes with friends via social media.