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This is the archived answer guide for NYT Connections game #950, published Friday, January 16, 2026. Start with the spoiler-light nudges below, or jump to the full groups if you’re ready to see the solutions.
Hints for Connections #950
Reveal these in order to keep the later clues from giving away more than you want.
- Look for headwear, a bedtime sequence, bands, and words that can follow “Grand.”
- One group consists of musical acts whose names use just one vowel; another is made up of bedtime steps or items.
- The categories are kinds of hats; components of a kid’s bedtime routine; musical acts with A as the only vowel; and Grand ____.
NYT Connections answers for January 16, 2026
The answer groups for game #950 are:
- Kinds of hats: DERBY, FEDORA, PANAMA, PORKPIE
- Components of a kid’s bedtime routine: BATH, BRUSHING, PAJAMAS, STORY
- Musical acts with “A” as the only vowel: ALABAMA, BANANARAMA, KANSAS, SANTANA
- Grand ____: BAHAMA, CANYON, PIANO, SLAM
TechRadar and Forbes independently report these category names and answer groups. Their displayed tile lists show apparent transcription or rendering differences, so the groups above are provided without claiming to reproduce a verified full game grid. TechRadar’s January 15, 2026 guide and Forbes’ January 15, 2026 guide both identify this as game #950.
How Connections works
Connections is a daily NYT Games puzzle. Players sort 16 words or other items into four groups of four by finding a shared connection. Forbes describes a fourth incorrect guess as ending the game; TechRadar says players can make up to four mistakes. Since those descriptions phrase the allowance differently, check the current game interface for its rules rather than relying on a precise mistake limit here.
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Can you replay the January 16 puzzle?
Forbes reported that the archive of past Connections games was available to NYT Games or All Access subscribers. Access terms can change, and that subscription detail is not confirmed here by an official NYT source. Check the official NYT Connections page for current access and replay options.
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