NYT Connections Hints Today, January 12, 2026: Puzzle Breakdown And Answers

NYT Connections For Today, January 12, 2026: If you’re playing the New York Times Connections puzzle today and feeling stuck, this article will help you with all the essential details. Below in this article, you’ll find everything you need, from the word list and category hints to the full set of answers and easy tips to help you solve the puzzle more confidently. The Connections game gives you a grid of 16 words and your job is to group them into four related categories of four words each. Let’s take a look at what today’s NYT Connections for January 12, 2026:

Today's NYT Connections For January 12, 2026, Word List

Here’s the full list of words you’re working with in today’s Connections game:

• HANDSHAKE

• COMPACT

• ARMCHAIR

• EXPERT

• CONSOLE

• HEADQUARTER

• NOVICE

• FOOTSTOOL

• UNDERSTANDING

• PUMPERNICKEL

• PROFICIENT

• AGREEMENT

• CEFTAZIDIME

• INTERMEDIATE

• BOOKCASE

• MONEYPENNY 

Today's NYT Connections Hints For January 12, 2026

• Yellow Group: Living room items

• Green Group: Skill levels

• Blue Group: Mutual promise or deal

• Purple Group: Words ending in types of US coins 

Today's NYT Connections Categories For January 12, 2026

• Yellow Group: Things you might see in a living room.

• Green Group: Different levels of skill or experience.

• Blue Group: Words related to promises or agreements.

• Purple Group: Words that end with the name of a US coin. 

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Today's NYT Connections For January 12, 2026 Answers

• Yellow Group: CONSOLE, FOOTSTOOL, ARMCHAIR, BOOKCASE

• Green Group: INTERMEDIATE, NOVICE, EXPERT, PROFICIENT

• Blue Group: HANDSHAKE, UNDERSTANDING, AGREEMENT, COMPACT

• Purple Group: MONEYPENNY, PUMPERNICKLE, CEFTAZIDIME, HEADQUARTER

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Tips To Solve NYT Connections For January 12, 2026

• Start with the obvious groups first. Pick categories you see straight away. 

• Keep an eye on word endings. Some puzzles use endings as links, not meanings.

• Work in small sections. Remove clear groups, and the remaining words become easier to classify. 

• Don’t force words. If one word feels out of place, leave it for later, it often fits into the trickier group. 

• Double-check. Sometimes the link is about the spelling or meaning of the word.

Good luck and have fun puzzling !!

For more such stories, stay tuned to HerZindagi. 

Image credit: New York Times and Freepik