If the January 28, 2026 (#962) edition of NYT Connections has you stuck, we’ve got you covered with hints and answers to help keep your streak alive.

Connections is a daily word game from The New York Times where players are given 16 words and must sort them into four groups of four based on hidden themes. Players have four guesses to make the correct selections and get a “one away…” hint if most words in a group are correctly chosen.

Today’s Words:
TONEARM, BUCKET, NEEDLE, SOAP, PRETEND, MOTOR, DUMMY, GLOVES, SHAM, RIB, TIRE, RAG, PLATTER, ME, TIME, MOCK

Hints for Each Group:

• Yellow Group: Words related to faking something.
• Green Group: Items used for cleaning floors.
• Blue Group: Components of a record player.
• Purple Group: Words often said together with a single common word.

Answers for January 28:

• Yellow – Imitation: DUMMY, MOCK, PRETEND, SHAM
• Green – Cleaning Supplies: BUCKET, GLOVES, RAG, SOAP
• Blue – Record Player Components: MOTOR, NEEDLE, PLATTER, TONEARM
• Purple – Spare _______: ME, RIB, TIME, TIRE

Fans of Connections can also enjoy other NYT puzzles like Wordle, Strands, and Pips via the official NYT Games app.