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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you ride horses.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 11, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: A gang

• Green: Deep dive

• Blue: Found in a bathroom or kitchen

• Purple: Horse fashion

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Group

• Green: Plunge

• Blue: Parts of a sink

• Purple: Equestrian gear

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #945 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Group: BAND, CREW, PACK, TEAM

• Plunge: CRASH, CRATER, DROP, TANK

• Parts of a sink: BASIN, DRAIN, FAUCET, STOPPER

• Equestrian gear: BIT, CROP, HALTER, SADDLE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 11, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're always positive.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for January 11, 2026 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 11, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Yay!!!

The words are related to positivity.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe a positive responses.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is That's Great.

NYT Strands word list for January 11

• Hooray

• Huzzah

• Yippee

• That's Great

• Whoopee

• Booyah

• Awesome

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're a science fanatic.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for January 11, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 11, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A particle.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter Q.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

QUARK

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 11, 2026

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Wordle.

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German performance sedans have long promised speed, precision, and flair—but rarely peace of mind. Toyotas, by contrast, just work, year after year, without fuss.

If you're thinking about getting a cheap USB flash drive, hear me out. Instead of getting a cheap but very sluggish flash drive, consider buying a USB SSD that looks like a regular thumb drive but is way faster and only slightly more expensive.

Whether you're embarking on a long-awaited skiing trip or live in an area that experiences extreme weather, protecting your phone from the cold can be crucial for protecting its battery life and overall device health.

Are you looking for a better way to enjoy content from your Jellyfin server? There are tons of clients to choose from made by passionate volunteers, and each brings a unique experience. These are my favorite.

The Raspberry Pi is a computer like any other, with a “proper” desktop OS in the form of Raspberry Pi OS that is packed with options. Whether you’re new to the world of single-board computers or are looking for blind spots you might have missed, here are some settings you should consider changing and how to do so.

PC gamers often obsess over keeping their systems cool. After all, adding a few more RGB fans is one of the easiest ways to make your system look cooler and physically run cooler as well.

3D printers have come a long way when it comes to convenience and being user-friendly, so much so that it's easy to forget you're looking at a miniaturized industrial robot. Like any manufacturing equipment, you need to do maintenance and inspection, and some habits and practices when using these machines can potentially shorten their lifespans.

You might have heard that Linux has a reputation for breathing new life into old computers, but that's not all it can do. It can also make your current PC stay current for longer. Here are the many ways Linux keeps my computers running like new, year after year.

What’s the point in having a smart home if you can’t depend on it? You should have confidence that your Home Assistant setup will “just work,” just like a dumb home would. In pursuit of this goal, you might need to make a few executive decisions and investments along the way.

New year, new television. If you’re like me, you spent the last two weeks of 2025 catching up on shows you either missed or never watched entirely. For me, that show was Tell Me Lies, an addictive drama on Hulu about a messy college relationship full of deception and betrayal.

When the cold winter weather arrives, your tire pressure is no longer an afterthought, but rather something you'll need to keep a close eye on. Car maintenance doesn't have to be difficult, and managing your tire pressure is an easy yet important step that keeps you safe on the road, especially during the cooler months.

Did you upgrade your Wi-Fi router over the holidays, and now have the old one sitting in a closet somewhere? That old Wi-Fi router is actually more useful than you might think it is. Here are five ways you can repurpose the Wi-Fi router instead of throwing it out or donating it.

We've gotten a look at what 2026's new emoji could be and the big additions? A pickle and a meteor.

The good folks at Emojipedia spotted that Unicode had quietly updated its archives with nine proposed new emoji concepts for September 2026's Emoji 18.0.

Here's the full list of proposed additions, as described by Emojipedia:

• A smiley face with squinting eyes

• A leftward thumb sign gesture

• A rightward thumb sign gesture

• A monarch butterfly (as opposed to the non-specifying 🦋)

• A pickle (as opposed to a 🥒 Cucumber)

• A lighthouse

• A meteor (as opposed to a ☄️ Comet)

• An eraser, for removing pencil markings from paper

• A net with a handle, like those used to catch bugs

In my opinion, the pickle and meteor are the big additions here. A pickle is distinct from a cucumber and could come in handy. And, well, with the way things have been going, a crashing meteor emoji could prove useful, too. Here's what the proposed new emoji look like.

Credit: Unicode/Emojipedia

To be clear, just because these emoji are proposed doesn't mean they'll ultimately be approved. And even if they are approved, there's quite a long process before you'll see the new emoji on your keyboard. Unicode is the organization that approves designs for new emoji, but then the big tech companies need to implement the changes.

But, still, we could soon have a pickle and meteor emoji at our disposal. So that's nice.

When I started the move away from Spotify, I had no problem finding replacement music services. But finding a new podcast player was harder. There's no shortage of choice, but each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. I ended up back with an old favorite that's always quietly got everything right: Pocket Casts.

Whether you're assigning random shifts, anonymizing a study, or shuffling a deck, randomizing rows in an Excel table manually is guaranteed to result in mistakes. So, instead of dragging and dropping rows to shuffle your data, try these two methods to achieve the same outcome in seconds.