Look, we've all been there. You open the New York Times app, the coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet, and you're staring at sixteen words that seem to have absolutely nothing in common. Or worse, they have too much in common, and you're certain the editor, Wyna Liu, is personally trying to ruin your morning.
If you're looking for nyt connections hints january 22, you probably found yourself staring at "Boxer" and "Wizard" and wondering if you've finally lost your mind. Don't worry. You haven't. This specific puzzle is a bit of a classic "gotcha" because of how it plays with our expectations of what a word should mean versus how it's actually being used.
What’s the Vibe of Today's Puzzle?
Honestly, today's grid is a masterclass in misdirection. You might see "Lab" and immediately think of dogs, especially with "Boxer" sitting right there. That’s the "dog trap," and it’s a deep one. But if you look closer, "Lab" has another home. It’s part of a group that’ll take you back to your college days—and I don't mean the frat parties.
Before we get into the heavy spoilers, let’s try to nudge your brain in the right direction. The yellow group is pretty straightforward if you think about a university syllabus. The green group is literally "grounded." Blue is all about the wardrobe, and purple... well, purple is just being its usual, cryptic self.
Hints by Color: A Little Nudge
Sometimes you don't want the answers; you just want to know if you're on the right track. Here is the general "vibe" for each color today:
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- Yellow (Easiest): Think about different ways you might earn a credit at a university.
- Green (Medium): This is very physical. If you were in a field with a shovel, you’d be making these.
- Blue (Hard): These are all people who have a very specific, flowing piece of clothing in common.
- Purple (Tricky): This one is a "fill-in-the-blank" style. Every word here is followed by a specific two-letter word.
Breaking Down the Yellow Group
The yellow category today is Types of Academic Courses. If you've ever spent time in a registrar's office, these should feel familiar.
- Discussion
- Lab
- Lecture
- Seminar
The biggest hurdle here is "Lab." Most people want to pair "Lab" with other dog breeds, but in this context, it’s that three-hour session where you stare at a microscope and wonder why your experiment isn't working. Once you pull these four out, the board starts to breathe a little more.
The Green Group: Results of Some Digging
This group is probably the most "literal" of the bunch. If you’re moving dirt, you’re creating one of these four things.
- Ditch
- Hole
- Pit
- Trench
It’s a very cohesive group. "Trench" might be the one that gives you a moment of pause because we often think of it in a military or "trench coat" context, but at its core, it’s just a long, narrow hole in the ground.
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The Blue Group: Ones Wearing Robes
Now we’re getting into the territory where people start losing lives. This category is Ones Wearing Robes.
- Boxer
- Judge
- Monk
- Wizard
This is where the editor really messes with your head. When you see "Boxer," you think of the sport or the dog. You don't usually think of the silk robe they wear during the ring walk. "Wizard" and "Monk" feel like they belong in a fantasy RPG, and "Judge" feels like a legal drama. But they all share that one specific garment. It’s clever, and it’s exactly why we love (and hate) this game.
The Purple Group: ____ Up
Finally, the purple category. This is the one that usually makes you roll your eyes once you see it. Today, the theme is words that precede the word Up.
- Batter (as in "Batter up!" in baseball)
- Bottoms (as in "Bottoms up!" during a toast)
- Chin (as in "Chin up!" when someone is sad)
- Lawyer (as in "Lawyer up!" when things get serious)
"Batter" is the real stinker here because "Batter" could easily be grouped with "Boxer" in a "people who hit things" category. "Lawyer" also feels like it could belong with "Judge" in a courtroom category. That "Lawyer/Judge" overlap is a classic Connections trap designed to waste your guesses.
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Avoiding the Traps in NYT Connections Hints January 22
The most important thing to remember about the January 22 puzzle is the Lawyer/Judge overlap. If you try to put them together, you’re going to get that "One away!" message that haunts your dreams.
Another trap is the "Boxer/Lab" dog connection. It’s too obvious. The NYT almost never gives you a category that is that surface-level. If you see two words that seem like they belong in a "Common Household Pets" category, be very suspicious. Usually, one of them belongs in a "Parts of a Door" group and the other is part of a "Words that rhyme with 'Slog'" group.
Actionable Strategy for Your Next Game
To keep your streak alive, try these three things every morning:
- Don't click yet. Spend at least 60 seconds just looking. Your brain will naturally want to click the first pair it sees. Resist.
- Look for the "Red Herrings." Identify words that could fit into two different categories. In this puzzle, it was "Lawyer," "Judge," "Lab," and "Boxer." Once you identify the overlap, you can work around it.
- Use the Shuffle. Sometimes your eyes get "locked" on a certain part of the grid. Shuffling the tiles forces your brain to see the words in a new context, which can break those false associations.
If you’re still struggling with the nyt connections hints january 22, just remember that the robe category is the pivot point. Once you realize "Boxer" and "Wizard" are linked by their clothes, the rest of the puzzle collapses into place like a house of cards.
Now that you've secured your win for today, take a look at the grid again and see how those overlaps were placed. It’ll make you a better player for tomorrow. Stick to the university terms first, then the dirt-moving terms, and you'll be left with the harder categories that require a bit more lateral thinking. Stay sharp out there.