Looking for today's Connections answer for Puzzle 226 on January 23 is a little trickier than yesterday's, with a difficulty rating of 3.2 out of 5 for this puzzle from the Connections Companion.

We update our Connections clues and hints daily. And if the hints aren't enough, you can see all four solutions along with the category title and related words. In addition, for those of you reading this in another time zone, I have included a reflection on yesterday's puzzle, #225.

There are spoilers for connection 226. Only those who want to know the answer to today's connection should read on.

Alternatively, see our NYT Connections How to Play Guide for tips on how to solve the puzzle without our help.

While today's Wordle solution guide recommends the starting word in Wordle as the strategy, the Connections solution requires you to identify the categories that are connected from the 16 words. The difficulty of each category is represented by a color, with yellow being the easiest grouping and purple the most difficult. Hints will help as the answer is displayed after four wrong guesses.

If you need a hint to help you solve the groupings, here are each theme in order of difficulty:

If you read these hints, you should at least find the answer to today's connection. If not, please continue reading for larger hints. Also, if you only want to know the answer, scroll down further.

Now for a bigger clue. Today's puzzle may make you feel like you are chasing coins in a fountain. Beware of the mirage of coins. Instead, let's move through the grid, pondering the creation and the symbols. And when you are ready to "hand it over," you will find that the pieces fit together perfectly.

Now, what is the answer to today's game #226, Connections?

Drum roll please.

Today's trip to the land of connections was to walk through a bustling marketplace and overhear the chatter of commerce. With a pocketful of coins in my hand, I thought I had stumbled upon a fortune. But as I counted pounds, buck, coins, sterling, bars, and dollars, I realized that this was no simple transaction.

I stepped back and looked at the grid like a jeweler appraising gems: the three categories of Devise, Create, and Invent were lined up together, proving that Coins were more than just currency.

A quick peek at my fingers revealed At (@), Pound (#), Percent (%), and Dollar ($). These keyboard stalwarts, sitting above the numbers on my keys, were surely working hand in hand together to create the very blue category of the day.

So it seems that the treasure trove of numismatic terms was only a romp. Sterling, prime, quality, fine, these were not mere mint treasures, but adjectives of excellence, shining together as the green category.

What remained were Time, Buck, Bar, and Torch. These felt like nonconformists until they realized that they were connected by a common gesture of continuity. Passing the bar, back, time, and torch.

As the clamor of the marketplace faded away, I emerged triumphant from today's Connections Bazaar.

It's much later in the day when you read this. According to the Connections Companion, the difficulty level was 2.4 out of 5.

Today's Connections puzzle was like a knight on a magical quest, but instead of dragons, it was words that needed taming. When I found the crown and scepter, my first thought was that I had wandered into a royal palace, but that was not the case. Batons, scepters, wands, and wands all clicked into place, and when I shouted "connectiamus," the yellow category surrendered.

Next, the dentist's lair beckoned with terms that would make anyone grit their teeth. Cavities, crowns (a term that seems to wear many hats), fillings, and plaque were grouped together as easily as pearly whites, and the drill gave me the green category without a single whirr.

Then it was off to the office. Words like urgent, paid, void, and approved seemed ready to stamp their authority on the paperwork.

To conclude my verbal adventure, I assembled the puzzle's customary quartet. Gap, Leap, Light, and School, while linked by the theme of "year," fell into the purple category and became a tapestry of the passage of time. [Without the need for any grand gesture, each category fell into place.