Yellow group
Straightforward
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with M, P, S and S. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
MEAN belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
CATTY
Reveal all four words
- MEAN
- PETTY
- SMALL
- SNIDE
A little help. Your own aha.
Connections #1027
hints & answers for April 3, 2026
Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.
#1027
This reference always shows April 3, 2026. It is released in at least one timezone; every answer stays closed until you reveal it.
Which group has you stuck?
Pick a colour. Reveal one step at a time.
1/4
Green group
A little trickier
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with J, L, L and T. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
JONES belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
HANKER (FOR)
Reveal all four words
- JONES
- LONG
- LUST
- THIRST
Blue group
More challenging
First-letter clue
Look for four entries beginning with C, H, R and Z. These initials are in sorted order.
Show one word
COLLINS belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
COCKTAIL GLASSES
Reveal all four words
- COLLINS
- HURRICANE
- ROCKS
- ZOMBIE
Purple group
Wordplay & surprises
Wordplay hint
Try adding the same ending to each entry.
Show one word
CRUISE belongs in this group.
Reveal the category
___ CONTROL
Reveal all four words
- CRUISE
- DAMAGE
- GROUND
- MISSION
Each entry comes before "CONTROL" to form a word, expression or name: CRUISE → CRUISE CONTROL; DAMAGE → DAMAGE CONTROL; GROUND → GROUND CONTROL; MISSION → MISSION CONTROL.
Show categories only
- Yellow: CATTY
- Green: HANKER (FOR)
- Blue: COCKTAIL GLASSES
- Purple: ___ CONTROL
Ready for the full solution?
All four categories and their words, together.
Reveal all four answers
Yellow
CATTY
MEAN · PETTY · SMALL · SNIDE
Green
HANKER (FOR)
JONES · LONG · LUST · THIRST
Blue
COCKTAIL GLASSES
COLLINS · HURRICANE · ROCKS · ZOMBIE
Purple
___ CONTROL
CRUISE · DAMAGE · GROUND · MISSION
This puzzle’s recorded solution
The date and puzzle number identify this exact board. Use the individual group controls to compare its recorded categories and words, then return to the archive to find another puzzle.
Continue from this date
About the answers and hints
Categories and answers follow the recorded NYT puzzle. Our hints are independent: some are original category clues, while others give the first letters of the four words. Each hint is labelled so you can choose how much help to take.
Group colours follow the puzzle’s yellow, green, blue and purple order, from the most straightforward to the trickiest. Your own experience may differ. The reference tiles may appear in a different order from your game. Picture puzzles have separately hidden descriptions, since a description can give away the wordplay.
The daily page starts with the UTC puzzle date and, with JavaScript enabled, checks the puzzle for your local time zone. Every reveal starts closed when the date changes. Play Connections at The New York Times or contact us about a correction.