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Spoiler warning: The hints for NYT Connections #939 come first. The complete answers for the Monday, January 5, 2026, puzzle are farther down the page.
Spoiler warning: The hints below are ordered from least to most revealing. The complete categories and answers for NYT Connections #939, published on Monday, January 5, 2026, appear after the spoiler break.
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The 16 words in Connections #939
Here is the full grid without category labels:
- BRUTAL
- IMPRESSION
- VERY
- REAL
- LIKE
- MANNER
- POLE
- POST
- FIVE
- VERSUS
- EXTREME
- END
- OPPOSITE
- COMMENT
- LURK
- VOLT
Hints for today’s Connections puzzle
Try these in order, stopping when you have enough help:
- Yellow: These are actions people commonly perform on social media.
- Green: This group points to the most distant, opposing, or extreme point.
- Blue: Add -ism to each word to get the name of an art movement or artistic style.
- Purple: Each word represents a possible meaning, abbreviation, symbol, or use of the letter V.
One answer from each group
Still working? These representative answers reveal one member of each category without giving away the entire grid:
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- Yellow: POST
- Green: OPPOSITE
- Blue: REAL
- Purple: VOLT
Spoilers: NYT Connections #939 answers for January 5, 2026
The four categories are:
Yellow: Things you can do on social media
COMMENT, LIKE, LURK, POST
These are all familiar ways to interact with or consume social-media content. You can comment on a post, like something, lurk without actively participating, or post content yourself.
Green: Furthest point
END, EXTREME, OPPOSITE, POLE
Each word can describe a limit, terminus, or point of maximum separation. An end is a terminal point, an extreme is a maximum or outer limit, and an opposite can be at the farthest end of a scale. A pole is a geographic endpoint and can also mean either of two opposing positions.
Blue: Art movements with “-ism”
BRUTAL, IMPRESSION, MANNER, REAL
The trick is that the words do not name the movements by themselves. Add -ism to form:
Rank #2
- BRUTAL → Brutalism
- IMPRESSION → Impressionism
- MANNER → Mannerism
- REAL → Realism
All four terms are associated with art movements or recognizable artistic styles. This suffix-based construction is one of the puzzle’s main traps: the category becomes much easier only after noticing that the entries need an ending added to them.
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Purple: What “V” might mean
FIVE, VERSUS, VERY, VOLT
This group is built around meanings and uses of the letter V rather than a conventional word relationship:
- FIVE: V is the Roman numeral for five.
- VERSUS: V is commonly used as an abbreviation for “versus,” especially in matchups such as a video game or sports competition.
- VERY: V can stand for the first letter of “very.”
- VOLT: V is the symbol for the volt, a unit of electrical potential difference.
The several words beginning with V are the signal here, but the category is deliberately broader than “words that start with V.” The entries represent different interpretations or uses of the character.
Why Connections #939 can be difficult
The yellow group is the most direct: COMMENT, LIKE, LURK, and POST are all strongly associated with social media. The harder groups rely on less obvious relationships.
The green answers are abstract. END, EXTREME, OPPOSITE, and POLE overlap through the idea of a boundary, endpoint, or maximum distance rather than through one concrete object or phrase.
The blue group is easy to miss if you look only for complete words already present in the grid. BRUTAL, IMPRESSION, MANNER, and REAL become the relevant art terms only after -ism is appended.
Finally, purple is a letter-and-symbol category. FIVE, VERSUS, VERY, and VOLT are connected by what V can represent: a Roman numeral, an abbreviation, an initial, and a scientific unit symbol.
How NYT Connections works
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to sort them into four groups of four. Select four entries and submit them as a set. A correct group is removed from the grid; an incorrect guess uses one of your limited mistakes.
The difficulty comes from deliberate overlap. A word may appear to fit more than one theme, and some categories depend on wordplay, abbreviations, symbols, or added letters rather than straightforward definitions. If you are solving a future puzzle, look for the most specific group first and be cautious about submitting a category that works only because the words have a vague connection.
Best Value
- Find hundreds of words in an easy to read format - Some words you'll spot easily, but you'll have to search hard for others.
- A wide range of puzzle topics, including movies, actors, sports, cars, and more!
- Variations on the standard word search puzzles are included for extra challenge.
- Answer key in the back of the book.
- Spiral bound, 192 pages.
Connections is available through the New York Times Games website and app. The daily game is generally available to play free, while a Games subscription provides access to the broader Games collection and archive features. Access terms can vary, so check the current NYT Games information for the latest details.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Want more Connections puzzles offline?
The New York Times Games and Wyna Liu have announced Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay, a hardcover collection with ISBN 9798893312607 and a listed publication date of October 27, 2026. It is described as a collection of more than 100 original Connections puzzles. Because that date is after the research date for this article, treat it as forthcoming unless a current retailer listing confirms that it is available.
The book is described as containing exclusive puzzles, so there is no basis for saying that it includes puzzle #939 specifically. It may nevertheless suit readers who want a print collection of Connections puzzles away from a phone or computer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the answers to NYT Connections #939?
The answers are COMMENT, LIKE, LURK, and POST; END, EXTREME, OPPOSITE, and POLE; BRUTAL, IMPRESSION, MANNER, and REAL; and FIVE, VERSUS, VERY, and VOLT.
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The blue category is art movements formed by adding “-ism”: Brutalism, Impressionism, Mannerism, and Realism.
Why are FIVE, VERSUS, VERY, and VOLT grouped together?
V can represent five as a Roman numeral, versus as an abbreviation, the initial of very, and a volt as a unit symbol.
The Bottom Line
NYT Connections #939 for January 5, 2026: COMMENT, LIKE, LURK, POST; END, EXTREME, OPPOSITE, POLE; BRUTAL, IMPRESSION, MANNER, REAL; and FIVE, VERSUS, VERY, VOLT.
Quick Recap
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