A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #938
hints & answers for January 4, 2026

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows January 4, 2026. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.

Which group has you stuck?

Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, E, I and P. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

COPY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PAPER PUBLICATION

Reveal all four words
  • COPY
  • EDITION
  • ISSUE
  • PRINT

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, C, R and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

COIL belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SPOOL

Reveal all four words
  • COIL
  • CRANK
  • REEL
  • WIND

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, B, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BLITZ belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS A DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYER DOES

Reveal all four words
  • BLITZ
  • BLOCK
  • SACK
  • TACKLE

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, E, G and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DREAR belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SYNONYMS FOR BUTT PLUS STARTING LETTER

Reveal all four words
  • DREAR
  • ETAIL
  • GRUMP
  • SCAN
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PAPER PUBLICATION
  • Green: SPOOL
  • Blue: THINGS A DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYER DOES
  • Purple: SYNONYMS FOR BUTT PLUS STARTING LETTER

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PAPER PUBLICATION

COPY · EDITION · ISSUE · PRINT

Green

SPOOL

COIL · CRANK · REEL · WIND

Blue

THINGS A DEFENSIVE FOOTBALL PLAYER DOES

BLITZ · BLOCK · SACK · TACKLE

Purple

SYNONYMS FOR BUTT PLUS STARTING LETTER

DREAR · ETAIL · GRUMP · SCAN

This puzzle’s recorded solution

The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.

About the answers and hints

Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.

Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.

The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.