Connections Hints

Thursday, January 22, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — January 22, 2026

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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
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Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

CLEAR
COBBLER
CRISP
CRUMBLE
DISTINCT
ELLEN
FLUFF
FUMBLE
MISS
SHARP
SPINY
STRUDEL
TIMER
TRIP
TURNOVER
USE
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Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

WELL-DEFINED, AS AN IMAGEStraightforward
FRUIT DESSERTSModerate
BUNGLETricky
MAGAZINES PLUS A LETTERDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

WELL-DEFINED, AS AN IMAGEStraightforward
WORDS DESCRIBING A HIGH-DEFINITION, FOCUSED IMAGE+ 3 more…
FRUIT DESSERTSModerate
BAKED SWEETS THAT SHOWCASE FRUIT AS THE STAR+ 3 more…
BUNGLETricky
TO MAKE A MESS OF SOMETHING, TO ERR OR STUMBLE+ 3 more…
MAGAZINES PLUS A LETTERDevious
EACH WORD BECOMES A MAGAZINE TITLE WHEN YOU REMOVE ONE LETTER+ 3 more…
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Full solution
WELL-DEFINED, AS AN IMAGEStraightforward
CLEAR,CRISP,DISTINCT,SHARP

CLEAR, CRISP, DISTINCT, and SHARP all describe an image that is well-defined and easy to see in fine detail.

FRUIT DESSERTSModerate
COBBLER,CRUMBLE,STRUDEL,TURNOVER

COBBLER, CRUMBLE, STRUDEL, and TURNOVER are all classic fruit-based desserts, often baked with a pastry or crumble topping.

BUNGLETricky
FLUFF,FUMBLE,MISS,TRIP

FLUFF, FUMBLE, MISS, and TRIP all mean to bungle or make an error, whether physically or in execution.

MAGAZINES PLUS A LETTERDevious
ELLEN,SPINY,TIMER,USE

ELLEN contains ELLE (magazine), SPINY contains SPIN, TIMER contains TIME, and USE contains US — each word is a magazine name with an extra letter added.

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