NYT Connections #938: January 4, 2026 Hints and Answers
Understanding the NYT Connections Puzzle
The Sunday edition of the New York Times Connections puzzle brings a fresh challenge with puzzle #938, offering a grid that rewards both football knowledge and wordplay skills. This particular puzzle is especially appealing to sports fans and those who enjoy spotting clever homophone patterns.
How Connections Works
For those new to the game, NYT Connections presents 16 words that need to be sorted into four thematic groups of four. The twist is that players are allowed only four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections can often mislead. Since its launch in June 2023, Connections has become a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a staple in the Times' puzzle lineup.
The game's brilliance lies in its use of red herrings—words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.
Today’s Grid Overview
Here are the 16 words you'll encounter in puzzle #938:
- GRUMP
- COPY
- BLOCK
- ISSUE
- SCAN
- CRANK
- SACK
- REEL
- ETAIL
- TACKLE
- WIND
- DREAR
- BLITZ
- COIL
- EDITION
At first glance, these words may seem random, but they all connect into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers)
Yellow Category Nudge:
Think about what comes off a printing press.
Green Category Clue:
These are all ways to store or manage something that winds.
Blue Category Hint:
Sunday afternoon activities for defensive players.
Purple Category Teaser:
Each word is a synonym for "butt" with a starting letter added.
The Full Solutions
Before looking at the answers, take a moment to solve it on your own.
Yellow (Paper Publication):
COPY, EDITION, ISSUE, PRINT
These four words all refer to different aspects of printed materials. COPY refers to a single printed item, EDITION to a specific version, ISSUE to a publication release, and PRINT to the physical act of printing.
Green (Spool):
COIL, CRANK, REEL, WIND
All four words describe mechanisms or actions related to winding or spooling. COIL refers to something wound in circles, CRANK to a winding mechanism, REEL to a spool for winding, and WIND to the action itself.
Blue (Things a Defensive Football Player Does):
BLITZ, BLOCK, SACK, TACKLE
This category is pure football terminology for defensive actions. BLITZ is an aggressive rush, BLOCK is stopping an opponent, SACK is tackling the quarterback, and TACKLE is bringing down the ball carrier.
Purple (Synonyms for Butt Plus Starting Letter):
DREAR, ETAIL, GRUMP, SCAN
The trickiest category requires recognizing that each word is a synonym for "butt" with an added starting letter. DREAR = REAR + D, ETAIL = TAIL + E, GRUMP = RUMP + G, SCAN = CAN + S.
The Verdict
Puzzle #938 is considered moderate in difficulty, with a few tricky elements. The yellow category is straightforward for those familiar with publishing terminology, while the green category requires thinking about mechanical winding mechanisms. The blue category separates football fans from casual observers, and the purple category is the most challenging, relying on a homophone-plus-letter trick that demands lateral thinking.
The real challenge lies in words like "SCAN" and "BLOCK," which could fit multiple categories. For example, SCAN could connect with COPY/PRINT for digital publishing, while BLOCK could pair with COIL/REEL for physical objects.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle will be available at midnight in your timezone. Until then, take a moment to reflect on today's performance: did football knowledge save you, or did the homophone trick catch you off guard?
The beauty of the puzzle lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot hidden patterns. For now, puzzle #938 is solved. See you at midnight for round #939.
