NYT Connections game #953 was published for Monday, January 19, 2026. Try the four hints below before opening the spoiler section for the complete groups and answers.
Hints for Connections #953
These clues move from broad to more direct. Each set of four words belongs together; see how many groups you can find before revealing the answers.
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- Yellow: Like a rookie.
- Green: Big bucks.
- Blue: Think about measurement.
- Purple: Not slow.
The 16 words on the board
SILVER, MINT, STUDY, TIME, FIX, BUDDING, MASS, BUNDLE, FRESH, CURRENT, WAD, SAND, NAIVE, FORTUNE, LENGTH, NEW.
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The puzzle splits into four groups of four. The categories and words are:
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| Category | Words | Why they go together |
|---|---|---|
| Inexperienced | BUDDING, FRESH, NAIVE, NEW | Each can describe someone or something inexperienced or just starting out. |
| Large amounts of money | BUNDLE, FORTUNE, MINT, WAD | Each can refer to substantial wealth or a large sum of money. |
| Measured by SI units | CURRENT, LENGTH, MASS, TIME | These are physical quantities measured using SI units. |
| Words after “quick” | FIX, SAND, SILVER, STUDY | They form quick fix, quicksand, quicksilver and quick study. |
How to read the puzzle’s connections
The first group is built from words that describe inexperience or newness. The money group uses several informal ways to describe a large sum. In the measurement group, the words are physical quantities rather than units themselves: SI units are used to measure current, length, mass and time. The final group is a phrase-completion pattern: add “quick” before each word.
These categories illustrate why a board can invite tempting overlaps: a word may have several familiar associations, but each final set must account for four tiles. A research paper describes Connections’ general task as grouping 16 terms into four sets of four and notes that intuitive associations can lead to incorrect groupings; it does not analyze this particular puzzle. Read the paper.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Sources and puzzle date
TechRadar published its guide on January 18, 2026, identifying #953 as Monday’s game and listing the board, hints and solutions. TechRadar’s guide to Connections #953. Parade’s January 19 guide independently identifies the puzzle as Monday, January 19, 2026, and confirms the answers. Parade’s guide to the January 19 puzzle.
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