Puzzle #961

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Puzzle #961 · Tuesday, Jan 27, 2026

Stuck on Connections puzzle #961? 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 Q.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: CARD

Show the category

Quite the Laugh

Green group Moderate

Hint: These four are names or titles you may know from culture, sport or the news, so ask what they share.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: DEVIL

Show the category

NHL Team Member

Blue group Tricky

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

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: FRIAR

Show the category

First Words of Robin Hood Character Names

Purple group Hardest

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

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: BALLROOM

Show the category

Starting with Baseball Gear

Full answers for puzzle #961

Reveal all four groups and their words

Quite the Laugh

CARD CHARACTER CUTUP JOKER

NHL Team Member

DEVIL FLYER PENGUIN RANGER

First Words of Robin Hood Character Names

FRIAR MAID ROBIN SHERIFF

Starting with Baseball Gear

BALLROOM BASEMENT BATMOBILE CAPSTONE

More Connections hints

Other Tuesday puzzles

Questions people ask

How hard is NYT Connections puzzle #961?

Puzzle #961 from January 27, 2026 follows the usual pattern: yellow is the gentlest group and purple the trickiest.

How can I get a hint for the January 27, 2026 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 →