‘Connections’ January 27: Hints and Answers for Puzzle #596

It’s Monday, the weekend feels already like a distant memory, and today’s game of Connections seems harder than usual. Don’t beat yourself up over this—it is not always easy to uncover the mystery threads between words in the popular New York Times puzzle.

Take a deep breath; don’t “rage solve,” as Connections developer Wyna Liu told Newsweek she often does, and try again—maybe this time with a little help from us to get you unstuck.

A warning: this article includes hints and clues before offering the full solution to today’s puzzle. Scroll carefully if you are looking for a little help but you don’t want full spoilers.

How To Play ‘Connections’

Connections is another one of the popular puzzle games available on The New York Times app, together with Wordle. In Connections, players must group 16 words into four categories based on whatever ties them together—the point is to find what, exactly.

“My best piece of advice is to wait as long as you can before guessing,” Liu previously told Newsweek. “You may see the board and have completely identified the category, seeing five words that could belong in that category,” she added.

“Don’t try to guess the four words in that category because, even though you know what the fifth member is, you won’t know which of the four it might not be.”

Each color corresponds to a difficulty level. Yellow is the easiest, followed by green and blue, while purple is the hardest.

Guessing the correct categories is not as straightforward as it sounds: there are words that sound the same, clever puns—every day brings a different challenge. According to The New York Times, the difficulty of today’s Connections is rated three out of five. It’s doable, but not that easy.

If you are struggling today, we’ve got your back with hints and clues—and, finally, the solution.

‘Connections’ #596 Clues for Monday, January 27

Yellow: Think snacks, but not a full meal.

Green: We’re all trying to protect ourselves from this harsh world—humans, animals, and plants alike.

Blue: Four separate words, one expensive condiment.

Purple: Think of an iconic horror film—some say it is the best ever made. “Here’s Johnny!”

‘Connections’ #596 Answers for Monday, January 27

Yellow category: Small amount of food to try

Yellow words: Bite, mouthful, sample, taste

Green category: Protective coverings in nature

Green words: Bark, scales, shell, skin

Blue category: Extra virgin olive oil

Blue words: Extra, oil, olive, virgin

Purple category: Seen in The Shining

Purple words: Axe, hedge maze, twins, typewriter

Did you guess Monday’s connections? If so, congratulations—whether you did it on your own or with a little bit of help from us. If not, don’t be discouraged—tomorrow is another day of Connections.