Look, we've all been there. You open the grid, stare at 16 words that seemingly have nothing to do with each other, and suddenly HOSE and CEREAL are mocking you. It’s Thursday, January 15, 2026, and today's NYT Connections is a weird one. Honestly, it feels like the puzzle editors were hanging out in a suburban garage when they dreamed this up.
If you're here because you're down to your last life and the tiles are starting to blur, don't panic. You've got this. We’re looking at Puzzle #949, and while it isn't the hardest we've seen this month, the Blue and Purple categories are definitely trying to trip you up with some linguistic gymnastics.
NYT Connections Hint Mashable Today: The Strategy
Before we give it all away, let's talk vibes. Today’s board is heavy on "things you find in the shed" and "things that move (or don't move)." There is a very specific trap involving the word SALT. You might want to put it with SHOVEL because, you know, winter. Don't do that. It belongs somewhere much more "flaky."
The Yellow Category: Outdoor Chores
This is the most straightforward group. If you've ever had to maintain a lawn or a flower bed, these words will practically jump off the screen at you. Think about what you’d buy at a hardware store on a Saturday morning.
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- HOSE
- RAKE
- SHOVEL
- SPADE
Basically, these are your Gardening Tools. Simple, right? Let's move on before it gets complicated.
The Green Category: Total Gridlock
The Green group today is all about a lack of movement. It's that feeling when your computer crashes or when you’re playing a game of Freeze Tag.
- FROZEN
- STATIC
- STATIONARY
- STILL
These are synonyms for Unmoving. Watch out for the spelling of STATIONARY (with an 'a')—it means standing still, whereas "stationery" with an 'e' is the paper you use for letters. The NYT loves those little subtle distinctions.
Why Today's Blue Category is Tricky
Now we’re getting into the "Medium" difficulty. The Blue category is Things That Come in Flakes. This is where CEREAL lives. If you were thinking of breakfast foods, you might have been looking for "milk" or "eggs," but the connection here is the physical form.
- CEREAL (Think Corn Flakes or Frosted Flakes)
- DANDRUFF (Gross, but accurate)
- SALT (Kosher salt or sea salt flakes)
- SNOW (The classic)
The trick here was realizing SALT and SNOW didn't belong with the shovel. They belong with the "flake" concept.
The Purple Category: The "Aha!" Moment
Purple is almost always wordplay. Today is no different. If you look at these words and think they have nothing in common, try breaking them in half. Or rather, look for the "dudes" hiding inside them.
The category is Words Formed by Two Men's Names.
- JACKAL: Jack and Al.
- LEVITATE: Levi and Tate.
- MELTED: Mel and Ted.
- PATRON: Pat and Ron.
Honestly, LEVITATE is a tough pull. Most people don't immediately think of "Tate" as a standalone name in this context, but it works. If you were stuck on this, it's probably because you were looking for definitions rather than letter patterns.
Connections Sports Edition Today: A Quick Detour
If you've already burned through the main puzzle and you’re hitting up the Connections Sports Edition (Puzzle #479), the themes today are a bit more niche. You'll need to know your Italian soccer and your baseball legends.
- Yellow: Reject a Shot (BLOCK, DENY, STUFF, SWAT)
- Green: Serie A Teams (BOLOGNA, COMO, JUVENTUS, ROMA)
- Blue: Benches-Clearing Brawl (BROUHAHA, FIGHT, FRACAS, RHUBARB)
- Purple: Yankees Greats, With The First Letter Changed (FUDGE, METER, TERRA, WORD) — These are [Pudge] Fisk (wait, he's Red Sox/White Sox), actually it's [J]udge, [J]eter, [B]erra, and [F]ord.
Actionable Tips for Tomorrow's Puzzle
To keep your streak alive, remember that the New York Times loves to reuse categories but swap the "decoy" words.
- Say the words out loud. Sometimes hearing "Pat-Ron" helps you find a name connection that your eyes missed.
- Look for "Fill-in-the-blank" words first. If you see words that could follow "Space" or "Blue," group them mentally before committing.
- Ignore the obvious. If four words seem too perfect together, check if one of them fits a more obscure category. The editors love to put one "easy" word into the Purple group to ruin your perfect game.
If you struggled with the "Unmoving" category today, take heart—word games are as much about learning the setter's habits as they are about vocabulary.
Keep your eyes peeled for the "two names" trick in the future; it's a recurring favorite for the purple tiles.
Check back tomorrow for the next round of clues and a breakdown of whatever linguistic trap the NYT sets next.
Next Steps:
Go ahead and enter JACKAL, LEVITATE, MELTED, and PATRON to clear the board and save your streak for Friday.