A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #947
hints & answers for January 13, 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 13, 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 B, C, G and R. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BOW belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PRESENT GO-WITHS

Reveal all four words
  • BOW
  • CARD
  • GIFT WRAP
  • RIBBON

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

ELBOW belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

JOSTLE

Reveal all four words
  • ELBOW
  • PRESS
  • SHOULDER
  • SHOVE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

BOWTIE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

ACCESSORIES FOR MR. MONOPOLY

Reveal all four words
  • BOWTIE
  • CANE
  • MONEYBAG
  • TOP HAT

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

OTOE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PARTS OF THE FOOT PLUS STARTING LETTER

Reveal all four words
  • OTOE
  • PARCH
  • RANKLE
  • WHEEL
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PRESENT GO-WITHS
  • Green: JOSTLE
  • Blue: ACCESSORIES FOR MR. MONOPOLY
  • Purple: PARTS OF THE FOOT PLUS STARTING LETTER

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PRESENT GO-WITHS

BOW · CARD · GIFT WRAP · RIBBON

Green

JOSTLE

ELBOW · PRESS · SHOULDER · SHOVE

Blue

ACCESSORIES FOR MR. MONOPOLY

BOWTIE · CANE · MONEYBAG · TOP HAT

Purple

PARTS OF THE FOOT PLUS STARTING LETTER

OTOE · PARCH · RANKLE · WHEEL

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.