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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →The NYT Connections answer for Tuesday, January 27, 2026, was game #961. The archived board grouped CARD, CHARACTER, CUTUP, and JOKER as amusing-person descriptions; DEVIL, FLYER, PENGUIN, and RANGER as NHL team-name parts; FRIAR, MAID, ROBIN, and SHERIFF as Robin Hood name openings; and BALLROOM, BASEMENT, BATMOBILE, and CAPSTONE as words beginning with baseball gear.
Spoiler warning: The complete answer appears below. If you are still solving, use the hints first.
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Hints for NYT Connections #961
- Yellow: Four words can describe an amusing or eccentric person.
- Green: Four words are parts of NHL team names.
- Blue: Four words begin familiar Robin Hood character names.
- Purple: Four words start with baseball equipment or gear.
The 16 words
The January 27, 2026 board contained:
BATMOBILE, FRIAR, CARD, ROBIN, JOKER, BASEMENT, PENGUIN, CHARACTER, SHERIFF, DEVIL, CAPSTONE, FLYER, RANGER, MAID, BALLROOM, CUTUP
NYT Connections answer for January 27, 2026
The answer for Tuesday, January 27, 2026, was game #961. It was an archived puzzle rather than the live Connections board for the current date.
#1 Best Overall
Yellow: QUITE THE LAUGH
CARD, CHARACTER, CUTUP, JOKER
Each word can describe someone funny, mischievous, eccentric, or unusually entertaining. You might call an amusing person “a card,” “quite a character,” “a cutup,” or “a joker.”
Green: NHL TEAM MEMBER
DEVIL, FLYER, PENGUIN, RANGER
These are the distinctive parts of four NHL team names:
- Devil — New Jersey Devils
- Flyer — Philadelphia Flyers
- Penguin — Pittsburgh Penguins
- Ranger — New York Rangers
The category uses the team-name words, not the full franchise names.
Blue: FIRST WORDS OF ROBIN HOOD CHARACTER NAMES
FRIAR, MAID, ROBIN, SHERIFF
Each entry begins a familiar Robin Hood name or title:
- Friar Tuck
- Maid Marian
- Robin Hood
- Sheriff of Nottingham
The trick is that these are the opening words of the names, rather than four complete character names that share the same type of role.
Purple: STARTING WITH BASEBALL GEAR
BALLROOM, BASEMENT, BATMOBILE, CAPSTONE
Each completed word starts with a baseball-related piece of equipment or gear:
- BALL + room = ballroom
- BASE + ment = basement
- BAT + mobile = Batmobile
- CAP + stone = capstone
This is the most wordplay-heavy group. The baseball terms are hidden at the beginning of ordinary words and a proper name, so the full entries do not initially look like sports vocabulary.
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The Batman decoy
The board was designed to make BATMOBILE, ROBIN, JOKER, and PENGUIN look like an obvious Batman group. That combination is tempting, but it is a decoy: BATMOBILE belongs with the baseball-prefix answers, while ROBIN, JOKER, and PENGUIN are needed in three different groups.
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A useful way through the trap is to notice that CARD, CHARACTER, and JOKER can all describe a funny person. That leaves CUTUP as the fourth member of the “quite the laugh” group. The NHL names then become easier to recognize, and the remaining Robin Hood and baseball-prefix entries resolve the board.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Want more Connections-style puzzles?
If you enjoy the category-matching format beyond the daily game, a Connections puzzle book such as Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay offers a collection of new puzzles in physical book form. It should be treated as additional material—not as a claim that it contains the archived January 27, 2026 grid.
For a broader collection, Puzzle Mania!: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis and More! combines Connections with several other New York Times Games formats. Check the current edition and retailer listing before buying, since availability and pricing can change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the four NYT Connections categories on January 27, 2026?
The four groups were QUITE THE LAUGH; NHL TEAM MEMBER; FIRST WORDS OF ROBIN HOOD CHARACTER NAMES; and STARTING WITH BASEBALL GEAR.
What was the Batman decoy in Connections #961?
BATMOBILE, ROBIN, JOKER, and PENGUIN look like Batman-related answers. However, BATMOBILE belongs to the baseball-prefix group, while Robin, Joker, and Penguin are used in other completed groups.
What number was the January 27, 2026 Connections puzzle?
The puzzle was game #961, played on Tuesday, January 27, 2026.
The Bottom Line
Answer: CARD, CHARACTER, CUTUP, JOKER; DEVIL, FLYER, PENGUIN, RANGER; FRIAR, MAID, ROBIN, SHERIFF; and BALLROOM, BASEMENT, BATMOBILE, CAPSTONE.
Quick Recap
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