The New York Times’ daily Connections puzzle has become a staple for word game enthusiasts around the globe, and the January 9, 2026 edition—puzzle #943—proved to be a particularly memorable challenge. Players logging in that Friday morning were greeted with a grid of sixteen seemingly random words, each waiting to be sorted into four secret categories. While some days the Connections themes reveal themselves quickly, this edition left many scratching their heads, searching for the elusive links that bind the words together.
According to Lifehacker, the puzzle’s categories were as follows: Yellow (Things That Are Red), Green (Used In Metaphors For Precarious Situations), Blue (Musical Artists Minus Starting Numbers), and Purple (Cardinal Directions With First Letter Changed). Each group, as always, contained four words, and the order of difficulty was reflected in the color coding—yellow being the most straightforward, purple the trickiest.
Let’s break down how these categories played out. The yellow group, dubbed “Things That Are Red,” included 3 BALL, CARDINAL, HEART EMOJI, and SOLO CUP. It might seem obvious in hindsight, but as one Lifehacker writer admitted, “Not even the yellow theme was a breeze; being unfamiliar with the ‘3 ball’ or ‘solo cup’ and their colour, I didn’t think of ‘red’ at all.” For those less acquainted with pool or American party culture, the 3 ball is red, and the red Solo cup is an iconic fixture at social gatherings. The cardinal, in this context, refers to the bright red bird, and the heart emoji is, of course, a classic symbol of love in a vivid red hue.
The green group, “Used In Metaphors For Precarious Situations,” was a bit trickier. This set featured 8 BALL, DEEP END, LIMB, and THIN ICE. As CNET pointed out, each of these phrases is commonly used to describe situations fraught with risk or uncertainty. For instance, being “behind the 8 ball” means you’re in a tough spot, “out on a limb” suggests taking a risky stance, “off the deep end” implies losing control or entering unknown territory, and “on thin ice” is a warning that one’s actions are perilously close to causing trouble.
The blue group, “Musical Artists Minus Starting Numbers,” was where many players found themselves stumped. The answers—6 MAFIA, CHAINZ, DIRECTION, and NON BLONDES—are all references to well-known musical groups, but with their numerical prefixes removed. Three 6 Mafia becomes 6 MAFIA, 2 Chainz is CHAINZ, One Direction is DIRECTION, and 4 Non Blondes is NON BLONDES. As Lifehacker explained, “6 MAFIA is a reference to Three 6 Mafia, a hip-hop group. That probably goes with (One) DIRECTION, (4) NON BLONDES, and (2) CHAINZ as musical acts that start with numbers.” It’s a clever twist that rewards both pop culture knowledge and lateral thinking.
Finally, the purple group, “Cardinal Directions With First Letter Changed,” was widely considered the most challenging. The group consisted of COUTH, FORTH, LEST, and OAST. The trick here was to recognize that each word was formed by replacing the first letter of a cardinal direction—South, North, West, and East, respectively—with a new letter. As one guide on Rock Paper Shotgun noted, “I did find the precarious situations except ‘8 ball’, and ultimately discovered the ‘north, east, south, west’ theme, which was quite satisfying.” It’s the sort of connection that, once seen, feels obvious, but can elude even the most seasoned puzzle solvers for several frustrating minutes.
Beyond the answers themselves, the puzzle’s design and the community’s response highlight the enduring appeal of word games that blend knowledge, wit, and a touch of misdirection. The Connections format, introduced by the New York Times as a companion to its wildly popular Wordle, Mini Crossword, and other daily challenges, has steadily built a dedicated following. Each day, players gather online to swap hints, commiserate over tricky categories, and celebrate those rare perfect scores. The Times has even introduced a Connections Bot, allowing registered users to track their performance, analyze their answers, and maintain win streaks—gamifying the experience and adding a layer of social competition.
As CNET and Lifehacker both emphasized, the Connections puzzle is designed not just to test vocabulary but to challenge players’ ability to see patterns and make creative leaps. “The most important thing to know to win Connections is that the groupings are designed to be tricky. Expect to see overlapping groups,” one writer advised. For example, while several words in this edition featured numbers, only some belonged to the musical artist group; the rest were red herrings meant to mislead the unwary.
For those struggling, the advice is clear: don’t rush to submit guesses, and consider the words that seem least connected—often, they’re the keys to the puzzle’s hidden structure. And if all else fails, daily guides and hint articles abound, offering just enough help to nudge players toward the solution without spoiling the satisfaction of discovery.
January 9’s puzzle joins a growing list of memorable and challenging Connections editions, with some players ranking it among the trickiest yet. In the words of one Rock Paper Shotgun contributor, “Nope, no success today. This Connections was way too hard for me.” Yet, for every player stymied by the puzzle’s twists, there are others who relish the challenge, already looking forward to the next day’s grid.
In the end, the enduring popularity of Connections lies in its daily dance between frustration and delight—a puzzle that, much like its cousin Wordle, keeps us coming back for just one more try.
