Yellow group
Straightforward
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with A, C, P and P. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
AREA belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
REGION
Reveal all four words
- AREA
- CLUSTER
- PATCH
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #964
hints & answers for January 30, 2026
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#964
This reference always shows January 30, 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.
1/4
Green group
A little trickier
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with C, C, N and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
COMB belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
GROOMING ITEMS
Reveal all four words
- COMB
- COMPACT
- NAIL FILE
- TWEEZERS
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with B, L, S and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
BAND-AID belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
THINGS WITH ADHESIVE SURFACES
Reveal all four words
- BAND-AID
- LINT ROLLER
- STICKER
- TAPE
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
Wordplay hint
Try adding the same ending to each entry.
Show one word
HELPING belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
___ HAND
Reveal all four words
- HELPING
- MINUTE
- POKER
- UPPER
Each entry comes before "HAND" to form a word, expression or name: HELPING → HELPING HAND; MINUTE → MINUTE HAND; POKER → POKER HAND; UPPER → UPPER HAND.
Show categories only
- Yellow: REGION
- Green: GROOMING ITEMS
- Blue: THINGS WITH ADHESIVE SURFACES
- Purple: ___ HAND
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
REGION
AREA · CLUSTER · PATCH · POCKET
Green
GROOMING ITEMS
COMB · COMPACT · NAIL FILE · TWEEZERS
Blue
THINGS WITH ADHESIVE SURFACES
BAND-AID · LINT ROLLER · STICKER · TAPE
Purple
___ HAND
HELPING · MINUTE · POKER · UPPER
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.
Continue from this date
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.