NYT Connections Hints for Jan. 4, 2026 (#938): Full Answers Explained

NYT Connections hints for Jan. 4, 2026 are now available for puzzle #938, featuring a mix of wordplay, sports terms, and a playful purple category. The puzzle was released on Sunday, Jan. 4.

As usual, players were asked to group 16 words into four sets of four based on shared themes. The difficulty ranged from straightforward newspaper terms to a tricky final set built around altered synonyms.

NYT Connections Hints and Group Clues for Puzzle #938

The Jan. 4 puzzle followed the standard difficulty curve. The yellow group was the most accessible, while the purple group required lateral thinking and careful attention to word structure.

Yellow group hint: Extra, extra.
Green group hint: Wrap around.
Blue group hint: NFL duties.
Purple group hint: Derriere.

Many solvers reported early success with the yellow and blue groups. The green and purple groups proved more deceptive, especially due to overlapping meanings.

Complete NYT Connections Answers for Jan. 4 (#938)

Below are the confirmed solutions for all four groups in today’s Connections puzzle. The answers were consistent across solver reports and post-game analysis.

Yellow group: Paper publication
Copy, Edition, Issue, Print

Green group: Spool
Coil, Crank, Reel, Wind

Blue group: Things a defensive football player does
Blitz, Block, Sack, Tackle

Purple group: Synonyms for butt plus starting letter
Drear (rear), Etail (tail), Grump (rump), Scan (can)

The purple group stood out due to its wordplay mechanic. Each answer combined a synonym for “butt” with an added first letter, making it easy to misclassify without careful inspection.

Why Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Stood Out

Puzzle #938 blended general knowledge with sports terminology and abstract word construction. The football-themed blue group was especially timely for NFL fans, while the purple group added humor without being explicit.

Several experienced players noted that the green group caused the most hesitation. Words like “crank” and “wind” often appear in unrelated categories, increasing the risk of early mistakes.

NYT Connections hints remain essential for players aiming to preserve win streaks. Puzzle #938 reinforced the importance of scanning for both literal meanings and hidden patterns before locking in answers.

Final takeaway: NYT Connections hints for Jan. 4 helped decode a puzzle that balanced accessibility with clever misdirection. Puzzle #938 will likely be remembered for its unusual but fair purple category.

FYI (keeping you in the loop)-

What was the hardest group in NYT Connections Jan. 4?

The purple group was the hardest for most players. It required identifying synonyms for “butt” with an added starting letter.

Did today’s Connections puzzle include sports terms?

Yes. The blue group focused on actions performed by defensive football players, including blitz and sack.

Are NYT Connections hints released daily?

Yes. Hints and answers are published daily after the puzzle goes live, usually within the same day.