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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →NYT Connections puzzle #959 for Sunday, January 25, 2026, groups its tiles around backup roles, PC keyboard keys, pasta shapes, and suffixes. Start with the graduated hints below; the complete groups and answers are farther down.
Hints for Connections #959
Try each clue before moving to the next. The hints go from a nudge toward each category to its direct theme.
- Yellow: Think of someone filling in for another worker.
- Green: Keys or shortcuts you might use while typing on a PC.
- Blue: Different shapes of an Italian staple.
- Purple: Word endings that can be added to other words.
Category names
- Yellow: Act as a backup
- Green: PC keyboard keys
- Blue: Pasta shapes
- Purple: Suffixes
Full answers for Sunday, January 25
Spoilers below: the four groups in Connections #959 are:
- Act as a backup: COVER, FILL IN, SUB, TEMP
- PC keyboard keys: ALT, ENTER, MENU, WINDOWS
- Pasta shapes: BOWTIE, RIBBON, SHELL, TUBE
- Suffixes: ATE, DOM, HOOD, SHIP
These assignments are reported consistently by TechRadar, Forbes, and Try Hard Guides, whose guides were published January 24, ahead of the puzzle date.
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How to read the clues
The backup-role group uses words and phrases for standing in or taking another person’s place. The keyboard group collects named PC keys; the pasta group links four shape names. The final set works differently: ATE, DOM, HOOD, and SHIP are endings that form words when attached to other word stems.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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