The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Spoilers ahead: These are the hints and answers for the NYT Connections puzzle dated Wednesday, January 14, 2026, game #948. If you want to solve it yourself, start with the word list and reveal only as much as you need.
The 16 words in Connections #948
FROSTY · SNOWMAN · AUCTION · RAINMAKER · FIRM · MOVIE · CLIENT · MISTLETOE · FAST · PARTNER · SECURE · ACCOUNT · USER · TREATMENT · TIGHT · CONSUMER
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Hints, from subtle to revealing
Yellow
Think of things that are held in position and aren’t going anywhere.
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Green
Think of a person or entity that receives goods or services.
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Blue
Look at the beginnings of the words. Each starts with a weather-related condition.
Purple
Complete the phrase “silent ___.”
One-word nudges
Still stuck? These words point more directly toward each connection:
- Yellow: immovable
- Green: customer
- Blue: frost, mist, rain, snow
- Purple: quiet
Answers for January 14, 2026
Full answer key below.
- Yellow — FIXED: FAST, FIRM, SECURE, TIGHT
- Green — RECEIVER OF GOODS OR SERVICES: ACCOUNT, CLIENT, CONSUMER, USER
- Blue — STARTING WITH WEATHER CONDITIONS: FROSTY, MISTLETOE, RAINMAKER, SNOWMAN
- Purple — SILENT: AUCTION, MOVIE, PARTNER, TREATMENT
Why the connections work
Yellow: FAST, FIRM, SECURE, TIGHT
Each can describe something fixed or held firmly in place.
Green: ACCOUNT, CLIENT, CONSUMER, USER
Each can refer to a recipient of goods or services.
Blue: FROSTY, MISTLETOE, RAINMAKER, SNOWMAN
The words begin with frost, mist, rain, and snow, respectively.
Purple: AUCTION, MOVIE, PARTNER, TREATMENT
Put “silent” before each word to complete a familiar phrase: silent auction, silent movie, silent partner, and silent treatment.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The business-word decoy
FIRM, PARTNER, ACCOUNT, and CLIENT may look like a plausible business or legal grouping, but they are not one of the intended sets. The actual green group is ACCOUNT, CLIENT, CONSUMER, and USER; FIRM belongs with FAST, SECURE, and TIGHT in yellow. TechRadar’s writer described falling for the business-term trap and rated the puzzle Hard with one mistake; that is the writer’s experience, not a measure of how difficult every player will find it. TechRadar’s January 13 guide and Forbes’ January 13 guide both cover game #948.
Quick Recap
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