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The 16-word grid and progressively stronger hints appear below. The complete solution is further down, after a clearly marked spoiler break.
NYT Connections #941: January 7, 2026 word list
Here are the 16 words in Wednesday’s puzzle:
STAKE STAR WINE MIRROR STRIPE GARLIC INTEREST CROSS SHARE CIDER DOUBLE TROUSERS CRESCENT CLONE CONCERN RINGER
Date note: This is puzzle #941, dated January 7, 2026. It is not the January 7, 2025 puzzle.
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Hints for Connections #941
Try these from lightest to strongest. The hints are arranged by the puzzle’s color groups, but they do not reveal the four-word sets immediately.
- Yellow: Think of a lookalike.
- Green: This can mean a chunk or share of something financial.
- Blue: Look at symbols commonly seen on flags, including flags displayed on poles.
- Purple: Think of items or ingredients pushed down or flattened for use.
One-word-per-group extra hint
If the first hints are not enough, these are stronger clues without giving away every answer:
- Yellow: CLONE belongs here.
- Green: SHARE belongs here.
- Blue: CRESCENT belongs here.
- Purple: GARLIC belongs here.
Stop here if you still want to solve the puzzle yourself. The answer groups and explanations are below.
Rank #2
Spoilers: NYT Connections #941 answers
Yellow: DOPPELGÄNGER
CLONE, DOUBLE, MIRROR, RINGER
These words can all describe an identical or nearly identical counterpart:
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute- CLONE: A copy or genetic duplicate of something or someone.
- DOUBLE: A person who resembles another person or stands in for them, such as a stunt double.
- MIRROR: A mirror image is an exact or visually matching counterpart.
- RINGER: In the expression “dead ringer,” this means someone who looks remarkably like another person.
The category uses related meanings rather than requiring every word to be a strict dictionary synonym for “doppelgänger.”
Green: PORTION
CONCERN, INTEREST, SHARE, STAKE
Each word can refer to a portion, investment, or ownership interest in a business or financial asset:
Rank #3
- CONCERN: An older or formal use of the word can mean a business or commercial enterprise.
- INTEREST: A financial interest is a share of ownership or involvement in an asset or company.
- SHARE: A share is a portion of ownership or value.
- STAKE: A financial stake is an invested portion or interest in a business or venture.
CONCERN is the least immediate fit, which makes it an important example of why Connections requires checking alternate meanings.
Blue: COMMON FLAG SYMBOLS
CRESCENT, CROSS, STAR, STRIPE
These are recurring design elements found on national flags:
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- CRESCENT: A curved moon shape appears on several national and regional flags.
- CROSS: Cross designs are prominent on flags such as those of Switzerland, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.
- STAR: Stars are common symbols on national flags.
- STRIPE: Horizontal, vertical, and diagonal stripes are frequent parts of flag designs.
This is more specific than simply “shapes.” The intended connection is their use as recognizable flag symbols.
Purple: PRESSED USING A PRESS
CIDER, GARLIC, TROUSERS, WINE
All four can be connected with a pressing process or a press:
- CIDER: Cider can be produced by pressing apples.
- GARLIC: Garlic is pressed using a garlic press.
- TROUSERS: Trousers can be pressed with an iron or trouser press.
- WINE: Wine production can involve pressing grapes.
The wording is deliberately flexible. The same kind of mechanical action is not being performed in every case: fruit may be pressed to extract liquid, garlic may be crushed through a utensil, and trousers may be flattened and smoothed.
Why the vampire group is wrong
A tempting decoy is STAKE, GARLIC, CROSS, MIRROR. Together, those words evoke vampire stories: vampires may be associated with stakes, garlic, crosses, and an aversion to mirrors.
Best Value
It is a vivid theme, but it is not the intended category. MIRROR is needed for the doppelgänger group, while STAKE belongs with the financial portion group. Once those two words are placed correctly, the vampire theory cannot account for the final grid as cleanly as the official categories do.
This is a useful Connections lesson: a colorful association is not enough. A proposed group must use all four words in a consistent sense while also leaving the remaining words capable of forming three valid groups.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to solve tricky Connections groups
- Separate obvious pairs from complete groups. Two words may seem related without proving that the other two belong. Keep looking for a fourth word and test the leftovers.
- Check multiple meanings. Words such as STAKE, INTEREST, and CONCERN can work in financial or business contexts, not just their everyday senses.
- Be wary of broad visual categories. CRESCENT, CROSS, STAR, and STRIPE are not all the same geometric type. Their shared setting—flag design—is the key.
- Do not overcommit to a strong theme. The vampire decoy feels compelling because all four words evoke the same fictional subject. But one misplaced word can invalidate the entire category.
- Use the remaining grid as a check. A group is stronger when removing it makes the other three groups clearer, rather than forcing several new connections.
If you enjoy this kind of wordplay away from the daily game, a word puzzle book can provide additional offline practice. It is a general puzzle activity, not an official NYT Connections product.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the NYT Connections answers for January 7, 2026?
The groups for Connections #941 are DOPPELGÄNGER: CLONE, DOUBLE, MIRROR, RINGER; PORTION: CONCERN, INTEREST, SHARE, STAKE; COMMON FLAG SYMBOLS: CRESCENT, CROSS, STAR, STRIPE; and PRESSED USING A PRESS: CIDER, GARLIC, TROUSERS, WINE.
What was the Connections vampire group?
STAKE, GARLIC, CROSS, and MIRROR form a tempting vampire-themed decoy, but it is not a valid solution. MIRROR belongs with DOPPELGÄNGER, and STAKE belongs with PORTION.
Why is CONCERN in the portion group?
In a formal or older business sense, a concern can mean a commercial enterprise. That makes it compatible with INTEREST, SHARE, and STAKE as a business or financial portion.
The Bottom Line
Connections #941, for January 7, 2026, groups its words into DOPPELGÄNGER, PORTION, COMMON FLAG SYMBOLS, and PRESSED USING A PRESS. The main trap is the vampire-themed combination of STAKE, GARLIC, CROSS, and MIRROR.
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