Puzzle #963

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Thursday, January 29, 2026

Puzzle #963 · Thursday, Jan 29, 2026

Stuck on Connections puzzle #963? 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 M.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: BRONZER

Show the category

Makeup

Green group Moderate

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: BEAR

Show the category

Featured in Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Blue group Tricky

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

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: FIBERGLASS

Show the category

Ending with Drinking Vessels

Purple group Hardest

Hint: This group is about the form of the words rather than what they mean, so study them closely.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: GOREY

Show the category

Homophones of Words Meaning "Brutal"

Full answers for puzzle #963

Reveal all four groups and their words

Makeup

BRONZER FOUNDATION LINER STAIN

Featured in Goldilocks and the Three Bears

BEAR BED GOLDILOCKS PORRIDGE

Ending with Drinking Vessels

FIBERGLASS SILVERSTEIN SMUG STUMBLER

Homophones of Words Meaning "Brutal"

GOREY GRIMM GRIZZLY SCARRY

More Connections hints

Other Thursday puzzles

Questions people ask

How hard is NYT Connections puzzle #963?

Puzzle #963 from January 29, 2026 follows the usual pattern: yellow is the gentlest group and purple the trickiest.

How can I get a hint for the January 29, 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 →