A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #944
hints & answers for January 10, 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 10, 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 H, P, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

HOSE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

HOLLOW CYLINDERS

Reveal all four words
  • HOSE
  • PIPE
  • STRAW
  • TUBE

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, D, M and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

APP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

SOFTWARE PLATFORMS

Reveal all four words
  • APP
  • DESKTOP
  • MOBILE
  • WEB

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BOOK belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

TAKE OFF

Reveal all four words
  • BOOK
  • DIP
  • JET
  • SPLIT

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, G, M and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BAR belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

UNITS OF MEASURE

Reveal all four words
  • BAR
  • GRAM
  • MOLE
  • VOLT
Show categories only
  • Yellow: HOLLOW CYLINDERS
  • Green: SOFTWARE PLATFORMS
  • Blue: TAKE OFF
  • Purple: UNITS OF MEASURE

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

HOLLOW CYLINDERS

HOSE · PIPE · STRAW · TUBE

Green

SOFTWARE PLATFORMS

APP · DESKTOP · MOBILE · WEB

Blue

TAKE OFF

BOOK · DIP · JET · SPLIT

Purple

UNITS OF MEASURE

BAR · GRAM · MOLE · VOLT

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.