I always enjoy really long spangrams to figure out, and I like it when they twist into fun shapes relating to the puzzle. Today, we have both!
How To Play Strands
The New York Times’ Strands puzzle is a play on the classic word search. It’s in beta for now, which means it’ll only stick around if enough people play it every day.
There’s a new game of Strands to play every day. The game will present you with a six by eight grid of letters. The aim is to find a group of words that have something in common, and you’ll get a clue as to what that theme is. When you find a theme word, it will remain highlighted in blue.
You’ll also need to find a special word called a spangram. This tells you what the words have in common. The spangram links two opposite sides of the board. While the theme words will not be a proper name, the spangram can be a proper name. When you find the spangram, it will remain highlighted in yellow.
Be warned: You’ll need to be on your toes.
“Some themes are fill-in-the-blank phrases. They may also be steps in a process, items that all belong to the same category, synonyms or homophones,” The New York Times notes. “Just as she varies the difficulty of Wordle puzzles within a week, [Wordle and Strands editor Tracy] Bennett plans to throw Strands solvers curveballs every once in a while.”
What Is Today’s Strands Hint?
The NYT hint will be first, then we will do a hint of my own creation to help you. The first hint:
Stable supply
Mine is:
Whoa nelly!
This should be relatively easy, I’d say.
What Are Today’s Strands Answers?
The spangram is below as spoilers begin, then the answer list after that.
HORSEBACKRIDING
And where you find it:
Strands
NYT
And the answer list:
REINS
SPURS
SADDLE
BRIDLE
HARNESS
CROP
Strands
NYT
Well, I told you it was a long spangram today, and here we are. I got HORSE then RIDING then HORSERIDING before I found HORSEBACKRISING for a full 15 letter spangram which you don’t see everyday. And it’s in the shape of a horse head! Very funny. The words were pretty easy and the only one that wasn’t there really was HORSESHOE, but I think that’s understandable.
Welcome to our daily NYT ‘Strands’ Hints, Spangram, and Answers post for Tuesday, January 28th!
Today’s Spangram:
CHAOS + HINT = ?
Hint: A type of plant that is often used in cooking and has a distinctive flavor.
Can you unscramble the Spangram to reveal the hidden word?
Stay tuned for the answer later today!
In the meantime, here are some hints to help you solve today’s ‘Strands’:
1. A type of bean that is commonly used in Mexican cuisine.
2. A city in Italy known for its canals and gondolas.
3. The capital of Japan.
Can you guess the words based on these hints? Share your answers in the comments below!
Check back later for the answers and solutions to today’s ‘Strands’ puzzle. Happy solving!
Tags:
NYT Strands hints, Spangram answers, January 28, crossword puzzle, New York Times, daily crossword, crossword solutions, word puzzles, word games, puzzle clues
In the Open Sud de France Round of 32 on Tuesday, No. 111-ranked Christopher Eubanks meets No. 199 Alibek Kachmazov.
Eubanks carries -135 odds to defeat Kachmazov (+105).
Open Sud de France Info
Tournament: The Open Sud de France
Round: Round of 32
Date: Tuesday, January 28
Venue: Arena Montpellier
Location: Montpellier, France
Court Surface: Hard
Christopher Eubanks vs. Alibek Kachmazov Prediction & Odds
Using the moneyline for this match as a prediction, here’s the implied chance each player has to win the match:
Christopher Eubanks: 57.4%
Alibek Kachmazov: 48.8%
And then the actual odds each player has to win this match and the tournament:
Christopher Eubanks
Alibek Kachmazov
-135
Odds to Win Match
+105
+2500
Odds to Win Tournament
+5000
Christopher Eubanks vs. Alibek Kachmazov Stats Comparison
Christopher Eubanks
Alibek Kachmazov
111
World Rank
199
2-1
2025 Match Record
3-1
4-2
2025 Set Record
5-3
8.3
2025 Aces Per Match
7.0
5
2025 Break Points Won
11
How to Bet on Christopher Eubanks vs. Alibek Kachmazov
The highly anticipated match between American tennis player Taylor Fritz Eubanks and Russian player Aslan Karatsev Kachmazov is set to take place at the Open Sud de France on Tuesday, January 28th. Both players have been in great form leading up to this match, making it a difficult one to predict.
Eubanks, known for his powerful serve and aggressive baseline game, will be looking to assert his dominance early on in the match. On the other hand, Kachmazov, who has been making a name for himself on the ATP Tour with his impressive shot-making and court coverage, will be a tough opponent to beat.
In terms of head-to-head matchups, Eubanks and Kachmazov have never faced each other before, adding an element of unpredictability to this match. However, based on current form and performance, it seems like Kachmazov may have the upper hand in this matchup.
Overall, this match is expected to be a thrilling and competitive one, with both players giving it their all to come out on top. Tennis fans can expect to see some high-quality tennis and intense rallies as Eubanks and Kachmazov battle it out on the court. It’s anyone’s game, but my prediction is that Kachmazov will come out victorious in this exciting matchup at the Open Sud de France.
Tags:
Eubanks vs. Kachmazov prediction, Open Sud de France, tennis match preview, ATP tour, match analysis, player stats, tournament updates, sports predictions, professional tennis players, match preview, tournament schedule, tennis news, sports betting tips.
President Donald Trump said he wasn’t “100% sure” that he cannot run for a third term as president.
“I’ve raised a lot of money for the next race, that I assume I can’t use for myself, but I’m not 100% sure,” Trump said Monday at the House Republican Members Conference dinner in Doral, Florida.
He added a moment of lighthearted uncertainty, asking Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, “I’m not sure, am I allowed to run again, Mike? I better not get you involved in that.”
This is not the first time Trump has hinted at the possibility of seeking three terms in office. In an appearance last Sunday in Las Vegas, Nevada, he remarked, “It will be the greatest honor of my life to serve not once, but twice or three times,” further stoking speculation about his future political plans.
Some context: Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee has spoken about amending the US Constitution to permit Trump to run for a third term. But it’s difficult to amend the Constitution, which hasn’t been changed since the 27th Amendment was ratified in 1992. Formally proposing an amendment requires either a two-thirds vote in the House of Representatives and Senate — Republicans do not hold enough seats to pass it — or via a constitutional convention, which hasn’t been held since the 18th century. Then, to ratify a new amendment, three-fourths of state legislatures (so 38 states) would need to approve it.
Here’s what else Trump spoke about at the conference dinner:
On TikTok: At the conference dinner, Trump reiterated his fondness for the app and his preference that it be sold by its Chinese-based parent company, ByteDance. “China won’t be involved,” he said while insisting “a lot of people” are seeking to purchase the platform.
On Medicare and Social Security: The president said he will not sign a bill that includes “even a single penny” of cuts to Medicare or Social Security benefits, reiterating a commitment he made during his campaign.
On Colombia: In his first comments on the mass deportation effort launched under his administration, Trump took a victory lap on immigration, saying Colombia, “agreed with us almost immediately after I got involved,” following a dispute over deportation flights over the weekend that threatened to spiral into a damaging trade war between the two nations.
On DeepSeek: After the Chinese artificial intelligence company unveiled a ChatGPT-like AI model operating at a fraction of the cost of comparable US models, Trump said the announcement “should be a wake-up call” for US tech companies.
On January 27, 2025, former President Donald Trump made headlines once again as he announced his plans to run for re-election in the upcoming 2028 presidential race. Despite facing numerous controversies and legal battles during his first term in office, Trump remains a polarizing figure in American politics.
Many supporters of the former president have rallied behind him, touting his accomplishments in office such as tax cuts, deregulation, and conservative judicial appointments. However, critics point to his divisive rhetoric, handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and numerous ethical violations as reasons why he should not be given another term.
As the 2028 election season heats up, all eyes are on Trump as he seeks to reclaim the highest office in the land. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.
If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once.
The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.
Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.
Drumroll please!
The solution to today’s Wordle is…
SHUNT.
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.
Are you looking for the Wordle answer and hints for January 27, 2025? Look no further!
Today’s Wordle answer is “CRAZY.” Here are some hints to help you guess the word correctly:
1. It has 5 letters.
2. It is an adjective.
3. It can be used to describe something that is unpredictable or chaotic.
4. It can also be used to describe someone who is eccentric or wild.
Put on your thinking cap and see if you can figure out today’s Wordle word! Good luck!
It finally snowed, I’m happy to report, though not a lot. I’ll take anything we can get at this point. It’s quite lovely, the first snowfall of the year. There’s something so calming about it. We won’t be building any snowmen, and I doubt this will help much at the ski hill, but it’s better than nothing.
Let’s solve this Wordle!
How To Solve Today’s Wordle
The Hint: Sign of sickness.
The Clue: This Wordle has a double letter.
Okay, spoilers below!
.
.
.
The Answer:
Today’s Wordle
Credit: Erik Kain
Wordle Analysis
Every day I check Wordle Bot to help analyze my guessing game. You can check your Wordles with Wordle Bot right here.
Things started out rather badly for your humble narrator today. SPOUT gave me all grey boxes and a whopping 775 remaining solutions remained. CRANE slashed that down to 53, which is still quite a few. I thought I might luck out with FIERY, but even here I was left with two possible solutions: FEWER and FEVER. My gut told me FEVER, and lucky for me that was the Wordle!
Competitive Wordle Score
Today’s Wordle Bot comparison
Credit: Erik Kain
A total wash today. 0 points for guessing in four and 0 for tying Wordle Bot. Oh well!
How To Play Competitive Wordle
Guessing in 1 is worth 3 points; guessing in 2 is worth 2 points; guessing in 3 is worth 1 point; guessing in 4 is worth 0 points; guessing in 5 is -1 points; guessing in 6 is -2 points and missing the Wordle is -3 points.
If you beat your opponent you get 1 point. If you tie, you get 0 points. And if you lose to your opponent, you get -1 point. Add it up to get your score. Keep a daily running score or just play for a new score each day.
Fridays are 2XP, meaning you double your points—positive or negative.
You can keep a running tally or just play day-by-day. Enjoy!
Today’s Wordle Etymology
The word “fever” comes from the Latin word febris, meaning “fever” or “heat.” It is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root dhegh- or dhegʷ-, which means “to burn” or “to warm.” The word passed into Old English as fefor or fefer, influenced by Old Frenchfievre, before evolving into the modern English “fever.”
Welcome to today’s Wordle #1319! Here are the hints, clues, and answer for Tuesday, January 28th:
Hints:
1. The word has 6 letters.
2. The word contains the letter ‘e’.
3. The word starts with the letter ‘s’.
4. The word ends with the letter ‘y’.
5. The word is a common household item.
Clues:
1. It is often used in the kitchen.
2. It can be made of glass, metal, or plastic.
3. It is used for measuring ingredients.
4. It is usually found in sets of different sizes.
5. It is essential for baking and cooking.
Answer: Spatula
Did you guess it correctly? Let us know in the comments below! Enjoy playing Wordle and stay tuned for tomorrow’s hints and clues.
If you’re anything like me, the day is not complete until I complete all of the free word games from the New York Times. Working on the daily Connections, Wordle and Strands is a whole ritual for many of us. And we can’t forget about the NYT’s The Mini Crossword, too!
Although the NYT is known for “The Crossword,” a larger puzzle for paid subscribers, The Mini has quite the fan-following as well.
If you’re working on today’s Mini on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, and need some help (I’ve been there), get ready to read the clues and solutions for each line. We have them separated into hints first for both “Across” and “Down” words, followed by “Across Answers” and “Down Answers,” so be careful if you want to avoid spoilers as you scroll!
Hints for NYT’s The Mini Crossword on Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Here are additional clues for each of the words in today’s Mini Crossword.
NYT Mini Across Hints
1 Across: Magic accessory for Gandalf the Grey — HINT: It starts with the letter “S” 6 Across: Item often cut with a pocket-sized guillotine cutter — HINT: It ends with the letter “R” 7 Across: Fill with awe — HINT: It starts with the letter “A” 8 Across: Flood stopper — HINT: It ends with the letter “E” 9 Across: Word repeated in “Any _____ is good _____” — HINT: It starts with the letter “P”
NYT Mini Down Hints
1 Down: Top of the head — HINT: It ends with the letter “P”
2 Down: Track meet official — HINT: It starts with the letter “T”
3 Down: Plant used to make tequila — HINT: It ends with the letter “E”
4 Down: Flusters — HINT: It starts with the letter “F” 5 Down: Saves from jail in Capture the Flag, say — HINT: It ends with the letter “S”
Answers to NYT’s The Mini Crossword for Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Don’t go any further unless you want to know exactly what the correct words are in today’s Mini Crossword.
NYT Mini Across Answers
1 Across: Magic accessory for Gandalf the Grey — STAFF
6 Across: Item often cut with a pocket-sized guillotine cutter — CIGAR
7 Across: Fill with awe — AMAZE
8 Across: Flood stopper — LEVEE
9 Across: Words repeated in “Any _____ is good _____” — PRESS
NYT Mini Down Answers
1 Down: Top of the head — SCALP
2 Down: Track meet official — TIMER
3 Down: Plant used to make tequila — AGAVE
4 Down: Flusters — FAZES
5 Down: Saves from jail in Capture the Flag, say — FREES
That’s it! How quickly were you able to complete today’s Mini?!
Looking for the answers and hints for today’s New York Times Mini Crossword puzzle? Look no further! Here are the solutions for the clues in today’s puzzle:
1. Hint: “___ of the above” – Answer: NONE
2. Hint: “___ Moines, Iowa” – Answer: DES
3. Hint: “Paper size that’s slightly larger than letter” – Answer: LEGAL
4. Hint: “___-in (early protest movement)” – Answer: SIT
5. Hint: “Type of beer that’s often hoppy” – Answer: IPA
Happy puzzling!
Tags:
NYT Mini Crossword, NYT Mini Crossword Answers, Crossword Hints, Crossword Solutions, January 28 2025 Mini Crossword, New York Times Mini Crossword, Daily Mini Crossword, Mini Crossword Clues
Wondering what gamblers and actors study? Not sure which wood is traditionally used to make piano keys? Don’t worry, because I’m here to help you with the answers for today’s NYT Mini crossword.
The NYTMini is a quick and dirty version of the newspaper’s larger and long-running crossword. Most days, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays.
Unlike its larger sibling, the NYTMini crossword is free to play on the New York Times website or NYT Games app. However, you’ll need an NYT Games subscription to access previous puzzles in the archives.
To help you avoid getting stuck and having to reveal missing letters, here are the NYT Mini Crossword answers for Monday, January 27 (spoilers lie ahead, of course):
NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers
NYT Mini Across Answers
1 Across: Gold medalist Ledecky — KATIE
6 Across: Cellphone pop-up — ALERT
7 Across: What gamblers and actors study — LINES
8 Across: Wood traditionally used for black piano keys — EBONY
9 Across: Anger — IRE
NYT Mini Down Answers
1 Down: Salad green derived from wild mustard — KALE
2 Down: Cover story told in court — ALIBI
3 Down: Choir member — TENOR
4 Down: ___ Adler, character who outsmarted Sherlock Holmes — IRENE
5 Down: Site that dubs itself “the global marketplace for unique and creative goods” — ETSY
Completed New York Times Mini crossword for Monday, January 27
New York Times
It took me 0:29 to complete today’s NYT Mini.
A good time, but I definitely could have been faster. The only answer I missed on the Across side was LINES. It also took me a few seconds to remember EBONY. With only one missing letter from each, the Down answers were easy enough to fill in.
I didn’t know KALE came from wild mustard! I learned something new from today’s game.
Make sure to follow my blogfor more coverage of the NYT Mini and other word games, as well as video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky! It’s fun there.
Are you a fan of the New York Times Mini Crossword? Here are the clues and answers for Monday, January 27th:
1. Small songbird – WREN
2. “___ you ready for this?” – ARE
3. “___ of the Tiger” (Survivor hit) – EYE
4. “___ Street” (Sesame Workshop show) – SESAME
5. In need of a nap – SLEEPY
Connections: Sports Edition is a new version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication’s sports coverage. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
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Here’s a hint for today’s Connections Sports Edition categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
Featured Video For You
Connections: How to play and how to win
Here are today’s Connections Sports Edition categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
Avoid a punch, in boxing – BOB AND WEAVE, CLINCH, DUCK, SLIP
Ways to describe a baseball catch – BASKET, SHOESTRING, SNOW CONE, WEB GEM
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Hints and answers for NYT Connections Sports Edition January 27: Tips to solve Connections #126
Hints:
1. This week’s Connections puzzle features famous sports figures from various disciplines.
2. Look for common themes or connections between the given names to help solve the puzzle.
3. Pay attention to details such as team affiliations, championships won, or notable achievements.
Answers:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Serena Williams
3. Tom Brady
4. Wayne Gretzky
5. Tiger Woods
Can you find the connections between these iconic sports stars? Share your thoughts in the comments below! #NYTConnections #SportsEdition
Tags:
NYT Connections Sports Edition, Connections #126, January 27 hints, January 27 answers, Connections puzzle tips, solve Connections puzzle, sports themed Connections puzzle, New York Times Connections puzzle, solve Connections January 27, NYT Connections hints and answers
Looking for clues for today’s Connections answers? The Connections answers on January 28 for puzzle #597 are a bit harder than yesterday’s puzzle, with the Connections Companion rating this puzzle’s difficulty at 3.5 out of 5.
Every day, we update this article with Connections hints and tips to help you find all 4 of today’s answers so you can keep your Connections streak going. And if the clues aren’t enough, you’ll find all four answers below, with the category titles and the correlating words.
Plus, we’re including a reflection on Sunday’s puzzle, #595, in case you’re reading this in a different time zone.
Spoilers lie ahead for Connections #597. Only read on if you want to know today’s Connections answers.
Alternatively, visit our how to play NYT Connections guide for tips on how to solve the puzzle without our help.
Today’s Connections answer — hints to help you solve it
(Image credit: New York Times)
Unlike our guide to today’s Wordle answer, where we recommend the best Wordle start words as your strategy, solving Connections relies on identifying connecting categories among 16 words. Each category’s difficulty level is represented by a color; yellow is the easiest grouping, and purple is the most challenging. Once you’ve made 4 mistakes in your guesses, the answers will be revealed, so hints can be helpful.
Today’s Connections words are: Demon, Laugh, Joker, Airhead, Card, Band, Chess, Dumbbell, Snicker, Character, Mat, Mar, Bump, Mound, Dial, and Bench.
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If you need hints to solve the groupings, then here are the themes of each, based on the order of difficulty:
Yellow: Funny person
Green: Resistance training equipment
Blue: Candy bars minus “S”
Purple: Speed ____
These hints should get you at least some of the way towards finding today’s Connections answers. If not, then you can read on for bigger clues; or, if you just want to know the answer, then scroll down further.
Here’s a larger hint: Snag a candy bar after a workout with a funny friend and keep the speed up.
Today’s Connections answers
So, what are today’s Connections answers for game #597?
Drumroll, please…
Funny person: Card, character, joker, laugh
Resistance training equipment: Band, bench, dumbbell, mat
Candy bars minus “S”: Airhead, Mar, Mound Snicker
Speed ____: Bump, chess, demon, dial
My sweet tooth kicked off today’s puzzle for me as I saw Snicker and Mar and was thinking candy bars. Mound and Airhead were quick finds from there.
I saw band and dumbbell which made me think of the gym. Which made mat and bench easy spots for me.
I got a little stuck here because I wasn’t thinking funny but was focusing on Joker as a card. But I did see speed demon which opened up speed bump and speed dial. I briefly forgot about speed chess, but it was the only that made sense there for the purple grouping.
Which led to funny person with card, character, joker and laugh.
Yesterday’s Connections answers
Ways to get food: Farm, Fish, Gather, Hunt
Keep apart: Cloister, Seclude, Separate, Silo
Parts of a big rig: Axles, Hitch, Tractor, Trailer
Dance events plus a letter: Bally, Discog, Promo, Raven
Reading this in a later time zone? Here are the Connections answers for game #595, which had a difficulty rating of 3 out of 5, according to the Connections Companion. We accidentally skipped Monday’s puzzle, apologies there. Back to normal Tuesday.
Dave went all kinds of out of order on this one. He got the blue category first, locking in the parts of a truck quickly and easily. From there, he picked up on Seclude, Separate and Silo as words that meant to keep something alone. Dave guessed Cloister, as it didn’t fit anywhere else, and he was right.
From there, Dave moved to Yellow, which was pretty evident as ways to get food. That only left him with purple, which was hard, and he probably would have never gotten it if it wasn’t for the process of elimination.
Are you ready for today’s NYT Connections challenge? Here are the hints and answers for Tuesday, January 28th (#597):
Hints:
1. This actor starred in “The Dark Knight” and “Inception”
2. This singer is known for hits like “Halo” and “Single Ladies”
Answers:
1. Christian Bale
2. Beyoncé
Good luck connecting the dots and solving today’s puzzle! #NYTConnections #TuesdayChallenge
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NYT Connections, today hints and answers, Tuesday January 28, crossword puzzle, New York Times crossword, crossword clues, crossword solutions, crossword hints, crossword answers, daily crossword, NYT crossword puzzle, crossword puzzle answers, crossword puzzle solutions, crossword puzzle hints, crossword puzzle clues.
Hey, everyone! I hope your week is off to a great start.
There are only a few more games until we get to the 600th edition of Connections. Is anyone else starting to get nervous about the prospect of having a fiendishly difficult, streak-busting grid on Friday? I certainly am.
Before we get going, I’ve started a discussion group for Connections and this column on Discord. You can chat about each game (and other topics) with me and other folks. I’m always interested to find out how other people approach the game, so join us! It’s fun.
It’s also the best way to give me any feedback about the column, especially on the rare(!) occasions that I mess something up.
Today’s NYTConnections hints and answers for Tuesday, January 28, are coming right up.
How To Play Connections
Connections is a free, popular New York Times daily word game. You get a new puzzle at midnight every day. You can play on the NYT website or Games app.
You’re presented with a grid of 16 words. Your task is to arrange them into four groups of four by figuring out the links between them. The groups could be things like items you can click, names for research study participants or words preceded by a body part.
There’s only one solution for each puzzle, and you’ll need to be careful when it comes to words that might fit into more than one category. You can shuffle the words to perhaps help you see links between them.
Each group is color coded. The yellow group is usually the easiest to figure out, blue and green fall in the middle, and the purple group is usually the most difficult one. The purple group often involves wordplay.
Select four words you think go together and press Submit. If you make a guess and you’re incorrect, you’ll lose a life. If you’re close to having a correct group, you might see a message telling you that you’re one word away from getting it right, but you’ll still need to figure out which one to swap.
If you make four mistakes, it’s game over. Let’s make sure that doesn’t happen with the help of some hints, and, if you’re really struggling, today’s Connections answers. As with Wordle and other similar games, it’s easy to share results with your friends on social media and group chats.
If you have an NYT All Access or Games subscription, you can access the publication’s Connections archive. This includes every previous game of Connections, so you can go back and play any of those that you have missed.
Aside from the first 60 games or so, you should be able to find my hints for each grid via Google if you need them! Just click here and add the date of the game for which you need clues or the answers to the search query.
What Are Today’s Connections Hints?
Scroll slowly! Just after the hints for each of today’s Connections groups, I’ll reveal what the groups are without immediately telling you which words go into them.
Today’s 16 words are…
DEMON
LAUGH
JOKER
AIRHEAD
CARD
BAND
CHESS
DUMBBELL
SNICKER
CHARACTER
MAT
MAR
BUMP
MOUND
DIAL
BENCH
And the hints for today’s Connections groups are:
Yellow group — they’re, like, hilarious
Green group — gym gear
Blue group — shortened sweets
Purple group — “racer” and “dating” would fit in here
What Are Today’s Connections Groups?
Need some extra help?
Be warned: we’re starting to get into spoiler territory.
Today’s Connections groups are…
Yellow group — funny person
Green group — resistance training equipment
Blue group — candy bars minus “s”
Purple group — speed ____
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
Spoiler alert! Don’t scroll any further down the page until you’re ready to find out today’s Connections answers.
This is your final warning!
Today’s Connections answers are…
Yellow group — funny person (CARD, CHARACTER, JOKER, LAUGH)
Green group — resistance training equipment (BAND, BENCH, DUMBBELL, MAT)
Blue group — candy bars minus “s” (AIRHEAD, MAR, MOUND, SNICKER)
Purple group — speed ____ (BUMP, CHESS, DEMON, DIAL)
A baker’s dozen of perfect games in a row extends my overall streak to 16 games. Here’s how I fared:
I’m ashamed to say it, but I broke a personal rule with today’s game.
SNICKER caught my attention immediately. When it became clear that and LAUGH were a red herring combo, it had to be a reference to the candy bar Snickers, minus the “S.” MAR was the only other word that obviously fit that description. I really didn’t know what else would go with those, since I am not overly familiar with American confectionary. AIRHEAD and MOUND seemed like the most likely candidates but, sigh, I had to look them up to be sure.
I generally don’t look up words when I’m playing Connections and am annoyed at myself for breaking this self-imposed restriction. However, I’m a firm believer in playing the game however you wish. I closed my Google tab after sealing the blues.
I thought those might have been the purple words, but no such luck and the dream of a reverse rainbow was over for another day. So I had no hesitation in submitting the greens once I spotted them.
After a few more moments of gazing at the grid, I had an “aha!” moment and deduced the purple words. A speed DEMON is just something that moves very fast (as well as a Marvel comic book villain and a Michael Jackson song). Does speed DIAL even technically exist anymore? I don’t know, I haven’t had a landline for nearly 15 years.
I suspect the yellows might be difficult for some folks. CARD is a very antiquated term for a funny person (I certainly didn’t make that link right away), and someone can certainly be called “a good LAUGH” but that may not be a common usage in many parts of the world. Still, I hope your streak stayed intact!
That’s all there is to it for today’s Connections clues and answers. Be sure to check my blog tomorrow for hints and the solution for Wednesday’s game if you need them.
P.S. Back in the day, when I used to go out pretty much every weekend, there’s a song that would always put a smile on one of my best friends’ faces whenever it came on at the club. It’s hard to argue that “Call On Me” by Eric Prydz isn’t catchy as heck. The official music video is probably too risqué for this publication (if you know, you know), so here’s a lyric video instead:
This samples a song by Steve Winwood called “Valerie.” Winwood was gracious enough to re-record his vocals for “Call On Me:”
Have a great day! Stay hydrated! Call someone you love!
If you’re so inclined, please do follow my blog for more coverage of Connections and other word games and even some video game news, insights and analysis. It helps me out a lot! Also, follow me on Bluesky! It’s fun there.
Here are some hints and answers for Tuesday, January 28th:
1. Trivia question: What is the capital of Spain?
Answer: Madrid
2. Recipe suggestion: Try making a delicious chicken stir-fry with a mix of vegetables and soy sauce for dinner tonight.
3. Fitness tip: Incorporate some high-intensity interval training (HIIT) into your workout routine to burn more calories and increase your metabolism.
4. Movie recommendation: Check out the film “The Shape of Water” directed by Guillermo del Toro, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2018.
5. Quote of the day: “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” – Steve Jobs
Stay tuned for more hints and answers for tomorrow!
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