NYT Connections game #943 was released on Friday, January 9, 2026. The grid has 16 words that resolve into four groups of four. Use the hints below in order, stopping before the spoiler sections if you want to solve it yourself.
The 16 words in game #943
FORTH, LEST, CARDINAL, DIRECTION, 8 BALL, SOLO CUP, NON BLONDES, OAST, 3 BALL, THIN ICE, HEART EMOJI, CHAINZ, 6 MAFIA, DEEP END, COUTH and LIMB.
Progressive hints
These clues move from broad themes to more specific anchors.
Yellow-group hint
Think of things commonly shown in the same vivid color as barbecue sauce, magma and a ladybug. One possible anchor is CARDINAL.
Green-group hint
Look for expressions associated with danger or an unstable position—situations such as rough seas, a sinking ship or a booby trap. THIN ICE is one member.
Blue-group hint
These become familiar music acts when a number is restored to the beginning. CHAINZ is the anchor word.
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Purple-group hint
Think of a map and compass points whose first letters have been changed. OAST is the giveaway.
Spoiler: the four category names
Stop here if you only wanted the themes. The categories are:
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- Things that are red
- Used in metaphors for precarious situations
- Musical artists minus starting numbers
- Cardinal directions with first letter changed
How the trickier connections work
Red objects and symbols
3 BALL is a red billiard ball, CARDINAL can mean the red bird, and both the HEART EMOJI and a SOLO CUP are conventionally depicted in red.
Metaphors for precarious situations
“Behind the eight ball,” “in the deep end,” “out on a limb” and “on thin ice” all describe being in a difficult or risky position.
Music names with numerals removed
Adding the missing opening numbers produces 6 MAFIA (Three 6 Mafia), CHAINZ (2 Chainz), DIRECTION (One Direction) and NON BLONDES (4 Non Blondes). The grid shows the artist names after their starting numerals have been removed.
Altered compass directions
Changing the first letter turns SOUTH into COUTH, NORTH into FORTH, WEST into LEST and EAST into OAST. The resulting entries are ordinary words, but their compass origins reveal the pattern.
Spoiler: full answer and groupings
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Things that are red | 3 BALL · CARDINAL · HEART EMOJI · SOLO CUP |
| Used in metaphors for precarious situations | 8 BALL · DEEP END · LIMB · THIN ICE |
| Musical artists minus starting numbers | 6 MAFIA · CHAINZ · DIRECTION · NON BLONDES |
| Cardinal directions with first letter changed | COUTH · FORTH · LEST · OAST |
Playing or revisiting this historical puzzle
The New York Times Help Center says the daily Connections game is released “at midnight in your timezone.” Connections is available through the Games app, the NYT Connections website, NYTimes.com/The Athletic and the News app.
The official archive is available to eligible All Access and Games subscribers and reaches back to June 12, 2023. Archive play requires a NYT account, contributes to certain statistics but not your streak, and a completed archive puzzle cannot be replayed. Access and terms can vary by account and region, so check the current NYT subscription information before relying on archive availability.
The word list and answer key above are corroborated by dated January 8, 2026 guides from TechRadar, Forbes and WordCheats; the official Help Center documents gameplay and archive rules rather than this specific answer key.
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