Welcome to today's NYT Connections puzzle solution! Below you'll find all the answers, hints, and explanations for the January 31, 2026 puzzle. Each group is color-coded by difficulty level, from yellow (easiest) to purple (hardest).
This straightforward category connects words that kinds of parties.
This moderately easy category connects words that ways to apply paint.
This challenging category connects words that y-shaped things.
This most difficult category connects words that what "shift" might refer to.
NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle where you need to find groups of four words that share something in common. Here are some tips:
Today's puzzle featured these 16 words: BALL, MIXER, RECEPTION, SHOWER, BRUSH, PALETTE KNIFE, ROLLER, SPRAY CAN, SLINGSHOT, STETHOSCOPE, TUNING FORK, WISHBONE, COMPUTER KEY, DRESS, FLUCTUATION, WORK PERIOD
NYT Connections is a daily word puzzle game by The New York Times. Players must identify four groups of four words that share a common theme. The categories range from straightforward (yellow) to tricky wordplay (purple). Each puzzle has exactly one solution, and you have four mistakes before the game ends.
New puzzles are released daily at midnight ET. Come back tomorrow for the next puzzle solution!