This is the archived NYT Connections puzzle for Friday, January 30, 2026, game #964—not the daily puzzle for September 30, 2026. If you want to solve it yourself, stop before the answer section; clues are staged from broad hints to the complete groups.
How Connections #964 works
Connections asks you to sort 16 words into four groups of four, with a shared link connecting the words in each group. The answer guides cited below report the same grid and solution.
January 30, 2026 word bank
MINUTE, TAPE, AREA, COMPACT, POCKET, COMB, POKER, STICKER, PATCH, BAND-AID, NAIL FILE, LINT ROLLER, UPPER, CLUSTER, HELPING, TWEEZERS.
Broad hints
- Yellow: A section of space.
- Green: Tools to keep yourself nice.
- Blue: Things with a sticky side.
- Purple: Add a body-part word.
These are published guide hints, not wording attributed to the NYT puzzle editor. Other guides describe the groups as a part of the world, items that help you look and feel good, things that stick around, and words that can come before “hand.”
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Category names
- Yellow: REGION
- Green: GROOMING ITEMS
- Blue: THINGS WITH ADHESIVE SURFACES
- Purple: ___ HAND
Spoiler warning: the complete answers are below.
Complete answers for Connections #964
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | REGION | AREA, CLUSTER, PATCH, POCKET |
| Green | GROOMING ITEMS | COMB, COMPACT, NAIL FILE, TWEEZERS |
| Blue | THINGS WITH ADHESIVE SURFACES | BAND-AID, LINT ROLLER, STICKER, TAPE |
| Purple | ___ HAND | HELPING, MINUTE, POKER, UPPER |
Why PATCH can mislead
PATCH may look like it belongs with adhesive items, but in this solution it is grouped with AREA, CLUSTER, and POCKET as a kind of region. Forbes’ guide notes that its writer considered the adhesive overlap before dismissing it.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why “today” means a specific date here
Daily puzzle dates can vary by reader because a new Connections puzzle appears at midnight in each time zone, as TechRadar explains. This page is specifically about Friday, January 30, 2026, game #964. For the date-specific grid and answer reports, see TechRadar, Forbes, and Parade.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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