NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Stuck on Connections puzzle #962? 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.
Clues and hints for each group
Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter I.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: DUMMY
Show the category
Imitation
Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter C.
Show one word from this group
One word that belongs here: BUCKET
Show the category
Cleaning Supplies
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: MOTOR
Show the category
Components of a Record Player
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: ME
Show the category
Spare ___
Test your guess
Stuck between two ideas? Pick four words and check them. You will only hear whether it is right, one away, or not a group.
Select four words.
Full answers for puzzle #962
Reveal all four groups and their words
Imitation
Cleaning Supplies
Components of a Record Player
Spare ___
More Connections hints
Other Wednesday puzzles
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, February 4, 2026 Puzzle #969
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, January 21, 2026 Puzzle #955
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, February 11, 2026 Puzzle #976
- NYT Connections hints for Wednesday, January 14, 2026 Puzzle #948
All puzzles from January 2026 Search the full archive Today's clues Today's answers Strategy guide Colors explained
Questions people ask
How hard is NYT Connections puzzle #962?
Puzzle #962 from January 28, 2026 follows the usual pattern: yellow is the gentlest group and purple the trickiest.
How can I get a hint for the January 28, 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 →