What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Spoiler warning: The complete solution to NYT Connections puzzle #963 appears below. If you are still solving, start with the word list and gradual hints before opening the answer key.
The Thursday, January 29, 2026, puzzle asks you to divide 16 entries into four groups of four. The categories become progressively trickier from yellow to purple, and you can make up to four incorrect guesses before the game ends.
The 16 words in Connections #963
Here is the puzzle grid without the solution:
GOREY SILVERSTEIN GRIZZLY BEAR
GRIMM GOLDILOCKS STAIN SCARRY
FIBERGLASS SMUG BED LINER
FOUNDATION STUMBLER BRONZER PORRIDGE
Category hints
Try these broad clues before looking at the grouped words:
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- Yellow: Cosmetics
- Green: Components or characters from a famous fairy tale
- Blue: Words that end with types of drinking vessels
- Purple: Words that sound like terms meaning “brutal”
One-word nudges
If you need a more targeted push, one representative entry from each category is:
- Yellow: BRONZER
- Green: BEAR
- Blue: FIBERGLASS
- Purple: GOREY
Those clues should narrow the field without giving away every group. The complete answer key is next.
Rank #2
NYT Connections #963 answers
Yellow: MAKEUP
BRONZER, FOUNDATION, LINER, STAIN
BRONZER and FOUNDATION are straightforward makeup products, while LINER can refer to eyeliner or another lining product. STAIN is the less immediate member: lip stains and cheek stains are cosmetic products designed to leave color on the skin.
Green: FEATURED IN GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS
BEAR, BED, GOLDILOCKS, PORRIDGE
Each word is a direct element of the familiar fairy tale. Goldilocks samples the porridge, tries the beds, and encounters the three bears. The category is about things featured in the story, rather than a narrower grammatical connection between the words.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Blue: ENDING WITH DRINKING VESSELS
FIBERGLASS, SILVERSTEIN, SMUG, STUMBLER
- FIBERGLASS ends with GLASS.
- SILVERSTEIN ends with STEIN.
- SMUG ends with MUG.
- STUMBLER ends with TUMBLER.
The full entries are not themselves drinking vessels. Instead, each contains a vessel word at the end. The constructions are intentionally uneven: in FIBERGLASS, GLASS follows “fiber”; in SILVERSTEIN, STEIN follows “silver”; and the shorter-looking SMUG and STUMBLER conceal MUG and TUMBLER after their initial letters.
Purple: HOMOPHONES OF WORDS MEANING “BRUTAL”
GOREY, GRIMM, GRIZZLY, SCARRY
- GOREY sounds like gory.
- GRIMM sounds like grim.
- GRIZZLY sounds like grisly.
- SCARRY sounds like scary.
This is the puzzle’s most deceptive group because the spellings resemble names or name-like forms rather than the intended descriptive words. SCARRY is especially easy to overlook: it can point to children’s author Richard Scarry, but its pronunciation also leads to “scary.” The category uses sound-alikes associated with brutality, harshness, or frightening subject matter.
Why this puzzle can be difficult
The purple words may first appear to form an author-related group. GOREY, GRIMM, and SCARRY can all evoke well-known writers or illustrators, and SILVERSTEIN may seem to complete that set. That interpretation is a trap. SILVERSTEIN belongs in the blue group because of the hidden ending STEIN.
There is another tempting association involving GOLDILOCKS, SILVERSTEIN, and BRONZER: gold, silver, and bronze can suggest medals or colors. That is not one of the intended categories. The more reliable approach is to confirm the makeup group first, then identify the four obvious Goldilocks entries. Once those eight words are removed, the remaining entries expose the vessel endings and sound-based purple group.
The puzzle has been described as “Hard” by at least one independent guide, but that is a contributor’s assessment rather than an official New York Times difficulty rating. Difficulty is subjective, especially in a puzzle where recognizing the pronunciation of SCARRY and spotting TUMBLER inside STUMBLER make a substantial difference.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.All four groups at a glance
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | MAKEUP | BRONZER, FOUNDATION, LINER, STAIN |
| Green | FEATURED IN GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS | BEAR, BED, GOLDILOCKS, PORRIDGE |
| Blue | ENDING WITH DRINKING VESSELS | FIBERGLASS, SILVERSTEIN, SMUG, STUMBLER |
| Purple | HOMOPHONES OF WORDS MEANING “BRUTAL” | GOREY, GRIMM, GRIZZLY, SCARRY |
If you enjoy solving away from a screen, the official Connections puzzle book offers more category-matching puzzles in print. It is a separate collection, and there is no basis here to claim that it contains puzzle #963 specifically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the answer to NYT Connections puzzle #963 for January 29, 2026?
The four groups are MAKEUP; FEATURED IN GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE BEARS; ENDING WITH DRINKING VESSELS; and HOMOPHONES OF WORDS MEANING “BRUTAL.”
What are the drinking vessels hidden in the blue group?
FIBERGLASS ends with GLASS, SILVERSTEIN ends with STEIN, SMUG ends with MUG, and STUMBLER ends with TUMBLER.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Why is SCARRY in the purple group?
SCARRY sounds like “scary,” one of the words associated with the category’s brutal or frightening meanings. The spelling also resembles the surname of children’s author Richard Scarry, which helps make it a red herring.
The Bottom Line
The key to puzzle #963 is resisting the author and medal-related red herrings. Lock in the makeup and Goldilocks groups, then look at the endings of the remaining words and say the purple entries aloud.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
