NYT Connections 29 January, 2026: NYT Connections has quietly become one of the most popular daily word games, attracting puzzle enthusiasts who crave something more than a quick five-letter answer on January 29, puzzle #963 offered a clever mix of fairy tale atmosphere, wordplay and pitfall constructions based on sound. Engagement data from NYT Games indicates that Connections has attracted millions of daily solvers with completion rates plummeting once purple-level logic enters the picture. Today’s grid is a great example of why Connections is a game that benefits from patience and a calm, steady hand.
What is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a daily word association puzzle published by The New York Times and players are given 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four based on a shared link where each group is colour-coded by difficulty, starting with yellow and moving through green and blue to purple, which is usually the trickiest unlike Wordle, this game tests lateral thinking and vocabulary depth rather than spelling alone.
How to Play NYT Connections
- Review all 16 words before making your first move
- Look for obvious sets first, often the yellow or green group
- Select four words you believe belong together
- Confirm your choice to lock in a group
- You are allowed up to four mistakes
- Use elimination to narrow down tougher categories
- Save purple-level guesses for last
Today’s Connections Words for 29 January (Thursday)
- GOREY
- SILVERSTEIN
- GRIZZLY
- BEAR
- GRIMM
- GOLDILOCKS
- STAIN
- SCARRY
- FIBERGLASS
- SMUG
- BED
- LINER
- FOUNDATION
- STUMBLER
- BRONZER
- PORRIDGE
Today’s Connections Hints for 29 January (Thursday)
- Yellow group relates to personal care or appearance
- Green group pulls directly from a classic children’s story
- Blue group hides a shared ending rather than a shared meaning
- Purple group depends on how words sound, not how they are spelled
NYT Connections Answers for 29 January (#963)
- Yellow: Makeup
- BRONZER
- FOUNDATION
- LINER
- STAIN
- Green: Featured in Goldilocks and the Three Bears
- BEAR
- BED
- GOLDILOCKS
- PORRIDGE
- Blue: Ending with drinking vessels
- FIBERGLASS
- SILVERSTEIN
- SMUG
- STUMBLER
- Purple: Homophones of words meaning “brutal”
- GOREY
- GRIMM
- GRIZZLY
- SCARRY
This grid leaned heavily on misdirection. Words like SILVERSTEIN and FIBERGLASS looked unrelated until their shared endings surfaced. The purple group proved especially challenging, relying on phonetic similarity rather than definition, a tactic that regularly trips up even experienced players.
FAQ’s NYT Connections
- Is NYT Connections free to play?
Yes, it can be played free on the NYT Games site and app. - How many mistakes are allowed?
Players can make up to four incorrect guesses. - Does difficulty change daily?
Yes, some grids are more language-based, others more thematic. - What makes purple the hardest group?
It often involves wordplay, sound-alikes, or abstract links. - Can I replay old puzzles?
Archived puzzles are available with an NYT Games subscription.
