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The four categories begin with Paper Publications (Yellow) and move into a sports-centric theme with Defensive Football Moves (Blue).
The Green category focuses on mechanical actions related to spools and rotation.
The most challenging group, Purple, requires a ‘deletion’ strategy, revealing synonyms for a specific body part once the first letter of each word is removed.
NYT Connections (Puzzle #938) for January 4, 2026, provides a refreshing mental workout for the first Sunday of the year. While some categories like publishing and sports are straightforward for many, the puzzle masterfully hides the final group behind a clever "hidden word" mechanic. Difficulty levels ranged from Yellow (easy) to Purple (trickiest), requiring both logic and clever thinking to crack. Check the latest Connections hints, answers, and expert walkthrough below!
If you’re still working your way through the grid, here are some gentle nudges:
Yellow (Easy): Think of words commonly associated with magazines or newspapers.
Blue (Medium): Consider what a defensive football player does to stop the other team.
Green (Medium): Words describing mechanical motion, often related to winding or coiling.
Purple (Tricky): Remove the first letter of each word to uncover synonyms for the ‘rear-end’.
Here is the official reveal for Connections #938:
Yellow: Paper Publication – COPY, EDITION, ISSUE, PRINT
Blue: Defensive Football Actions – BLITZ, BLOCK, SACK, TACKLE
Green: Mechanical Spooling – COIL, CRANK, REEL, WIND
Purple: Words with First Letter Removed (Synonyms for Butt) – DREAR, ETAIL, GRUMP, SCAN
Today’s grid was a masterclass in the ‘Red Herring.’ Words like REEL and TACKLE immediately suggest a fishing trip, while GRUMP and CRANK point toward a ‘bad mood’ category. However, the logic shifts once you realize SACK and BLITZ are strictly tied to the football field.
The highlight of the day is undoubtedly the Purple group. It’s a ‘letter-deletion’ puzzle where DREAR becomes REAR, and ETAIL becomes TAIL. This type of lateral thinking is what separates a quick solve from a four-mistake failure. If you managed to spot the hidden ‘rump’ in GRUMP, you likely cleared the board with ease!
NYT Connections #938 highlighted what makes the daily puzzle so addictive: a blend of logic, vocabulary, and lateral thinking. From publications and football moves to spools and tricky wordplay, today’s puzzle challenged solvers of all skill levels. Check back tomorrow for fresh hints, answers, and strategies for NYT Connections #939!
Also Read: NYT Connections Hints and Answers for January 2, 2026 (Puzzle #936)
