Connections, a puzzle originating from The New York Times, is not an easy challenge: one has to group 16 words into 4 sets of 4, each having a concealed link. As there is a restricted number of errors one can make, it very often takes a lot of effort to spot the wrong clues. If you desire a soft push or the total answer, you will get all that you need below.

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How to Play NYT Connections

Connections is a daily word game that is brought to you by the New York Times, the same publisher that introduced Wordle to the world. The aim of the game is to find out four groups of linked words from a 16-word grid.

The unintentional overlaps are included on purpose to mislead the players and at the same time, each group of words is tied by a common theme, which could be categories, word patterns or phrases. Players are allowed to have three wrong guesses; after the fourth mistake, the game ends.

The difficulty of each group is color-coded:

• Yellow – Easiest
• Green – Easy
• Blue – Medium
• Purple – Hardest

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Today’s Connections Words (January 20)

Here are the 16 words featured in today’s puzzle:

Golden Gate, Brooklyn, Carpenter, Bumble, Craven, Desiree, Honey, Killer, Lace, Needle, Rialto, Tower, Twist, Wanton, Weave, Wind

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Connections Hints for Tuesday, January 20

Use these clues to guide your thinking:

• Yellow: Think of things that intertwine
• Green: They’re associated with flowers
• Blue: You can cross them
• Purple: Pay attention to the beginning of each word

Extra hints:

• Every group except purple includes a five-letter word
• “Needle” and “Weave” belong to different groups

One-word reveals (spoilers):

• Yellow: Weave
• Green: Bumble
• Blue: Rialto
• Purple: Desiree

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Today’s Connections Groups

Still unsure? Here are the themes connecting each set of words:

• Yellow: Intertwine
• Green: Kinds of Bees
• Blue: Famous Bridges
• Purple: Starting With Synonyms for “Hanker For”

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NYT Connections Answers for January 20, 2026

Yellow – Intertwine:
Lace, Twist, Weave, Wind

Green – Kinds of Bees:
Bumble, Carpenter, Honey, Killer

Blue – Famous Bridges:
Brooklyn, Golden Gate, Rialto, Tower

Purple – Starting With Synonyms for “Hanker For”:
Craven, Desiree, Needle, Wanton

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Many solvers quickly spotted the bee-related words or recognized famous bridges, while the purple group proved trickier due to its hidden wordplay. If today’s puzzle felt challenging, you’re not alone—Connections often rewards pattern recognition and a bit of luck.