Hints and Solutions for NYT Connections: January 14, 2026

The NYT Connections puzzle available today is quite doable if you’re a fan of shopping.

Connections is an immensely popular word game from the New York Times that has captured the attention of many. The objective is to discover “shared themes among words.” Much like Wordle, Connections refreshes at midnight, and each new batch of words becomes progressively tougher—hence, we’ve compiled some hints and strategies to assist you.

If you’re looking for the solution to today’s puzzle, feel free to jump to the end of this article. If not, keep reading for clues, strategies, and insights.

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What is Connections?

The NYT‘s most recent daily word challenge has turned into a social media phenomenon. The Times attributes its creation to associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu, who incorporated it into the Games section. Connections is playable on both web browsers and mobile devices, where players need to categorize four words that share a common connection.

Every puzzle consists of 16 words organized into four distinct groups. These categories could encompass anything from book titles to software and country names. Although many words may initially appear to belong together, there is only one valid grouping.

When a player successfully organizes all four words, they are eliminated from the board. Any incorrect guess is counted as a mistake—players are allowed a maximum of four errors before the game concludes.

Players have the option to rearrange and shuffle the board for easier identification of connections. Each grouping is designated a color: yellow is the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Similar to Wordle, you can share your results on social media platforms.

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NYT Pips hints, answers for January 14, 2026

Here’s a clue for today’s Connections categories

Looking for a hint regarding the categories without giving them away? Consider these:

  • Yellow: Locked

  • Green: Buyer

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