The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Connections #950, dated Friday, January 16, 2026, groups four words under each of these themes: kinds of hats; parts of a child’s bedtime routine; musical acts whose only vowel is A; and words that follow “Grand.” If you want to solve it yourself first, use the progressive hints below before opening the full answer table.
Progressive hints for Connections #950
-
Start with a familiar phrase: each word in one group completes “Grand ___.”
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
-
Another group consists of things worn on the head.
-
One set names steps or items in a child’s evening routine.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsSpecial offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy. -
For the last group, focus on the vowel in the names of four musical acts.
Connections #950 answers for January 16, 2026
| Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|
| Grand ___ | BAHAMA, CANYON, PIANO, SLAM | Grand Bahama, Grand Canyon, grand piano, and grand slam. |
| Kinds of hats | DERBY, FEDORA, PANAMA, PORKPIE | Each is a style of hat. |
| Components of a kid’s bedtime routine | BATH, BRUSHING, PAJAMAS, STORY | These are familiar parts of getting a child ready for bed. |
| Musical acts with “A” as the only vowel | ALABAMA, BANANARAMA, KANSAS, SANTANA | Each act’s name contains A as its only vowel. |
How the groupings come together
Begin with “Grand ___”
BAHAMA, CANYON, PIANO, and SLAM form the most direct phrase-completion set: Grand Bahama, Grand Canyon, grand piano, and grand slam. Removing these words makes the remaining categories easier to see.
Separate the hats from the bedtime routine
Among the remaining words, FEDORA, PANAMA, and PORKPIE are recognizable hat styles; DERBY completes that group. The other everyday terms—BATH, BRUSHING, PAJAMAS, and STORY—fit together as a child’s bedtime routine.
Rank #2
Use the vowel clue for the final set
The four remaining names are ALABAMA, BANANARAMA, KANSAS, and SANTANA. They are musical acts, and A is the only vowel in each name.
Why the puzzle may have felt tricky
PANAMA and PORKPIE may be less familiar as hat names than FEDORA, and recognizing the musical acts may depend on knowing the names. Those are individual solver observations, not a measured difficulty rating. The category labels and date are recorded by the puzzle archive; the answer words are also corroborated in a solver discussion, which is user-generated rather than official NYT commentary. Puzzle archive · Solver discussion
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #3
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
