The New York Times Connections puzzle challenges players to sort 16 seemingly unrelated words into four connected groups. Each group shares a hidden link. Today’s grid blends pop culture references, sports terminology, literary characters, and clever wordplay, making it both entertaining and deceptively tricky. Below you’ll find gentle hints to guide your thinking, followed by the complete solutions once you’re ready to check your work.
NYT Connections Puzzle Overview: 27 January 2026
Today’s Connections puzzle leans heavily into entertainment and sports references with an interesting twist of character name recognition. Some groupings feel intuitive to pop culture enthusiasts, while others require deeper lateral thinking around shared linguistic patterns. The Robin Hood category is especially clever, while the hockey reference group rewards sports fans. A playful mix that keeps solvers engaged across different knowledge domains.
NYT Connections Hints: 27 January 2026
Category 1:
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All four words describe laughter or humor
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Often used to describe something very funny
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Common expressions when something is amusing
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Connected to moments of hilarity
Category 2:
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These words relate to hockey teams
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Part of standard NHL team rosters
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Strong ties to professional hockey
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Essential positions in the sport
Category 3:
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These are first names of famous Robin Hood characters
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From the legendary outlaw legend
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Literary and historical references
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All belong to the same story
Category 4:
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Each word begins with baseball equipment
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Things found in the batter’s box and dugout
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Look closely at the starting letters
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Common sports gear that precedes other words
NYT Connections Answers: 27 January 2026
Here are the answers, grouped by category.
Category 1:
Category 2:
Category 3:
Category 4:
Conclusion & Quick Strategy Tip
The 27 January 2026 Connections puzzle balances straightforward cultural references with clever wordplay, making it satisfying once the patterns click into place. Quick strategy tip: lock in the sports terminology early if you’re knowledgeable in that domain, then focus on the literary references and character names. The baseball gear category can be tricky, so save it for last and work through the more obvious connections first to narrow down the possibilities.
