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NYT Connections #951 for Saturday, January 17, 2026, groups the 16 words into Spread Over, Throw, Anagrams, and First Words of Kids’ Games. Start with the spoiler-aware hints below; the complete grid and explanations follow.
Spoiler warning: The hints below are arranged from vague to specific. The complete answers for NYT Connections #951, dated Saturday, January 17, 2026, appear after the spoiler break.
Hints for Connections #951
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to divide them into four groups of four. The groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is generally the easiest, while purple is usually the most deceptive. Because a word can seem to fit more than one theme, use the hints in order and stop before the answer section if you still want to solve the grid yourself. The New York Times Help Center explains the game format and its color-coded difficulty system.
Yellow hint
Think of things that can be spread or placed over a surface.
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Green hint
These words can work as verbs meaning to throw or launch something.
Blue hint
Ignore the meanings and compare the letters. All four words can be rearranged into one another.
Purple hint
Think of familiar children’s games. Each entry is the beginning of a game’s name.
Rank #2
Spoilers: NYT Connections #951 answers
The four categories and their words are:
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Spread Over | BLANKET, COAT, COVER, PLASTER |
| Green | Throw | CAST, HURL, PELT, SLING |
| Blue | Anagrams | INKS, KINS, SINK, SKIN |
| Purple | First Words of Kids’ Games | CAPTURE, HIDE, RED, SIMON |
How the answers fit
Yellow: Spread Over
BLANKET, COAT, COVER, and PLASTER can all describe something spread, placed, or put over another surface or object. “Blanket” and “coat” can function as nouns or verbs, while “cover” and “plaster” are especially natural as verbs for applying something over an area.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsThis group has several tempting decoys. HIDE may suggest concealment, and SKIN can suggest an outer layer, but neither belongs in this category.
Green: Throw
CAST, HURL, PELT, and SLING are verbs associated with throwing. They are not interchangeable in every sentence: you can cast a fishing line, hurl an object with force, pelt someone or something with repeated throws, and sling an object or launch it quickly. Their shared connection is the act of throwing or sending something through the air.
Blue: Anagrams
INKS, KINS, SINK, and SKIN all use exactly the same four letters: I, K, N, and S. This is the puzzle’s letter-based group rather than a meaning-based one. Rearranging any one of these words produces the other three.
This kind of category is easy to overlook if you are searching only for definitions. Once several short words look unrelated, sort their letters mentally—or write them in alphabetical order—to check for an anagram set.
Purple: First Words of Kids’ Games
Each entry begins the name of a familiar children’s game:
Rank #4
- CAPTURE → Capture the Flag
- HIDE → Hide-and-Seek
- RED → Red Rover
- SIMON → Simon Says
The category is difficult because the missing words are not present in the grid. You have to complete each phrase rather than match the entries by a direct dictionary meaning.
Why this grid can be tricky
Connections #951 mixes four different kinds of relationships. The yellow and green groups are semantic: they depend on what words mean or how they are used. The blue group is orthographic, relying only on letter patterns. The purple group is a phrase-completion category, requiring you to supply the rest of each game title.
The main source of misdirection is the overlap around covering and outer layers. BLANKET, COAT, and COVER strongly point toward the yellow group, but words such as HIDE and SKIN can pull you toward a different interpretation. The green verbs also overlap in meaning, although their usual contexts differ.
A practical way to solve similar Connections grids
- Start with the most concrete group. If three words clearly share a phrase or category, look for the fourth before committing.
- Test alternate meanings. A word that fits one apparent group may be a deliberate decoy for another.
- Switch from meaning to form. If the remaining words do not form a sensible semantic group, compare spelling, syllables, prefixes, or anagrams.
- Look for omitted words. Entries such as “Red” or “Simon” may be the first parts of familiar names rather than standalone categories.
- Use the four-word requirement. A plausible three-word theme is not enough; the connection must account for exactly four entries without forcing an outlier.
For more offline practice after solving, an official New York Times Games Connections puzzle book is described by the retailer as containing more than 100 puzzles. Availability and product details can change, and there is no basis for assuming that it includes puzzle #951 specifically.
Quick recap
The answers to NYT Connections #951 for January 17, 2026 are BLANKET, COAT, COVER, PLASTER for “Spread Over”; CAST, HURL, PELT, SLING for “Throw”; INKS, KINS, SINK, SKIN for “Anagrams”; and CAPTURE, HIDE, RED, SIMON for “First Words of Kids’ Games.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What were the NYT Connections answers for January 17, 2026?
The four categories were “Spread Over,” “Throw,” “Anagrams,” and “First Words of Kids’ Games.”
Why are INKS, KINS, SINK, and SKIN grouped together?
The blue group was INKS, KINS, SINK, and SKIN. Each word uses the same four letters: I, K, N, and S.
What do CAPTURE, HIDE, RED, and SIMON have in common?
CAPTURE becomes Capture the Flag, HIDE becomes Hide-and-Seek, RED becomes Red Rover, and SIMON becomes Simon Says.
The Bottom Line
Connections #951 combines two meaning-based groups with an anagram set and a children’s-game phrase set. When a grid resists a purely semantic solution, check both the letters and the possibility that each entry completes a familiar title.
Quick Recap
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