NYT Connections Hints & Answers (#218) – Today's Puzzle, Jan 15
TODAY'S NYT CONNECTIONS TIP
“Start by identifying LIST OF CANDIDATES (BALLOT, ROSTER...) to narrow down the remaining 16-word grid!”
Connections Hint for Each Word Today
Tap any word to see its Connections hint — what it means in today's puzzle, no spoilers.
Today's NYT Connections Hints for All Four Categories
Reveal progressively: see the category hint first, then the group name, then individual words — stop whenever you have enough.
⚠️Traps & Misdirects Hints for Today’s Connections Puzzle
Today’s Connections puzzle includes words intentionally placed to misdirect you into wrong groups. These traps and misdirects hints reveal which words are designed to mislead, so you don’t burn your 4 allowed mistakes on deliberate decoys.
BUFFER, CUSHION, PAD, SHIELD
In today's medium category (PROTECTIVE BARRIER), pay close attention to subtle shifts in meaning. Words like BUFFER, CUSHION, PAD, SHIELD may appear to belong to other everyday contexts, but their true connection lies in their shared relationship to PROTECTIVE BARRIER.
COAT, GREEN, POD, SOUP
The trickiest grouping today is "PEA ___". Words such as COAT, GREEN, POD, SOUP are designed as intentional misdirects. Look past their obvious surface meanings for hidden wordplay or secondary definitions.
CAPSULE, CREAM, SYRUP, TABLET
Be careful with overlap between CAPSULE, CREAM, SYRUP, TABLET and other categories on the board. The editor often places decoy pairings in "MEDICINE FORMATS" to trap unsuspecting players into using up their 4 allowed mistakes.
Today's NYT Connections Answers
Click to reveal the complete solution — all four categories.
Today's NYT Connections Answers Explained
What Makes Today’s NYT Connections Puzzle Tricky?
BUFFER, CUSHION, PAD, SHIELD sit alongside CAPSULE, CREAM, SYRUP, TABLET and phrases like COAT, GREEN, POD, SOUP — a collision of distinct word groups and subtle misdirects.
The editor's sharpest trick is hiding a word-within-a-word: some of the multi-word phrases are not grouped by their topic but by what their first word secretly means.
How to Use Connections Hints
Everyone playing NYT Connections puzzle gets stuck at a different point. Some players can’t figure out a single word. Others have three groups solved and can’t find the fourth. Where you are stuck determines which connection hint you need.
A word in the puzzle has an unfamiliar meaning
Some words in today’s NYT Connections puzzle are uncommon. Connections editor Wyna Liu often uses words with specific or less familiar meanings, particularly in the green, blue, and purple categories. If you don’t know what a word means, you cannot reliably place it in a group.
No groups are forming after reading all sixteen words
The connection between words is often not obvious from their meanings alone — categories are built around themes that require a specific angle to see. These category-level clues are the most useful hints.
You have a possible group but aren’t ready to guess
You think four words belong together but you’re not confident enough to guess. If you’re unsure, don’t guess yet — a wrong guess costs you one of your four mistakes.
One word seems to fit more than one group
You have built a group of four words but one word in it could also fit somewhere else. NYT Connections editor Wyna Liu deliberately places misleading words on the board.
You know the category but can’t find all four words
You have identified the theme of a category but can’t find all four words that belong to it.
One mistake left with two groups unsolved
You have one mistake remaining and two groups unsolved. If you guess wrong here, the game ends and NYT reveals all the answers automatically.
You want today’s answers without solving the puzzle
Use the Answers section. It shows all four category names and the four words that belong to each one.
The puzzle is over but a category still doesn’t make sense
You can see the four groups and their words but the connection between them isn’t clear.
Browse Past Puzzles
View answers and hints for every previous NYT Connections puzzle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Lead Writer & Connections Puzzle Analyst
Naveed is a dedicated puzzle strategist and word game analyst who breaks down daily NYT Connections categories, uncovers tricky wordplay patterns, and delivers progressive, spoiler-free clues to help thousands of players solve every puzzle.