Puzzle #218

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Monday, January 15, 2024

Puzzle #218 · Monday, Jan 15, 2024

Stuck on Connections puzzle #218? Each group below starts with a gentle hint. Open a starter word, then the category, and only reveal the full answers when you are ready. Your progress is remembered on this device.

Nothing is revealed until you tap it.

Clues and hints for each group

Yellow group Straightforward

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter L.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: BALLOT

Show the category

List of Candidates

Green group Moderate

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter P.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: BUFFER

Show the category

Protective Barrier

Blue group Tricky

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter M.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: CAPSULE

Show the category

Medicine Formats

Purple group Hardest

Hint: Think of one short word that can come before each of the four to make a familiar phrase.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: COAT

Show the category

Pea ___

Full answers for puzzle #218

Reveal all four groups and their words

List of Candidates

BALLOT ROSTER SLATE TICKET

Protective Barrier

BUFFER CUSHION PAD SHIELD

Medicine Formats

CAPSULE CREAM SYRUP TABLET

Pea ___

COAT GREEN POD SOUP

More Connections hints

Other Monday puzzles

Questions people ask

How hard is NYT Connections puzzle #218?

Puzzle #218 from January 15, 2024 follows the usual pattern: yellow is the gentlest group and purple the trickiest.

How can I get a hint for the January 15, 2024 Connections puzzle without spoilers?

Every group on this page opens with a one-line hint. One word from the group and then the category name sit behind separate buttons, and the full answers stay hidden until you open them.

When does the new Connections puzzle come out?

A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight in your local time zone. We usually publish the next puzzle's hints the evening before, US time, so they are ready when your grid refreshes. See today's hints →

How many mistakes are you allowed in Connections?

You have four mistakes. The fourth wrong guess ends the game, so you can safely miss three times. If the game says you are "one away", three of your four words are correct.

Where can I find yesterday's Connections answers?

Open the Yesterday page for the previous puzzle, or search the archive by date, puzzle number, word or category. Yesterday's hints →