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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Need help with the NYT Connections puzzle for Friday, January 23, 2026? This historical puzzle is game #957. Start with the gradual clues below; the complete groups are farther down, after a spoiler warning.
Gentle hints for Connections #957
Try these clues before looking for category names:
- Nose is another one.
- Leave your car here.
- Measurements.
- Not dark.
More direct category hints
- Take something at face value.
- Places or arrangements for legally leaving a vehicle.
- Units from a system that is not metric.
- Put a bright word after each answer.
One last nudge
One group concerns things among the first details people might notice about you; another is about where a vehicle can stop. Think of old-school measurements for a third group. For the last, “year” and “house” can follow one of the words.
Spoiler warning: full answers for January 23, 2026
The puzzle’s 16 entries were STONE, TEMPLE, PILOT, LIP, STREET, CHEEK, FOOT, TRAFFIC, EYE, ACRE, FLOOD, METER, GARAGE, LIME, BUSHEL, and VALET.
| Color | Category | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Facial features | CHEEK, EYE, LIP, TEMPLE |
| Green | Kinds of parking | GARAGE, METER, STREET, VALET |
| Blue | Imperial units | ACRE, BUSHEL, FOOT, STONE |
| Purple | Words before “light” | FLOOD, LIME, PILOT, TRAFFIC |
Why the groups can be easy to mix up
Several entries suggest more than one possible direction. TEMPLE and STONE belong with facial features and imperial units respectively, while PILOT belongs with words before “light.” STREET fits the parking group, but TRAFFIC—not STREET—completes the “words before light” set. Sorting by the complete phrase or category, rather than by a tempting association, resolves the overlap.
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How to play and find the puzzle
Connections presents 16 entries to sort into four groups of four. Forbes reports that a player can make three incorrect guesses; a fourth wrong guess ends the game. The difficulty colors run from yellow, generally the easiest, to purple, generally the hardest, according to TechRadar.
The NYT Games website and app are the digital access points described by Forbes. TechRadar says the game can be played free on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile; Forbes notes that access to the archive is for All Access or Games subscribers. Availability and subscription terms may depend on the current NYT offering.
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