A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1034
hints & answers for April 10, 2026

Keep the satisfaction of the solve. Get a nudge for one group, reveal a category, or check the answers at your own pace.

This reference always shows April 10, 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.

Yellow group

Straightforward

1/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, C, C and P. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BELL PEPPER belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

PEPPERS

Reveal all four words
  • BELL PEPPER
  • CAROLINA REAPER
  • CHIPOTLE
  • PEPPERONCINO

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with E, J, P and T. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

EJECTOR SEAT belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

THINGS THAT POP UP

Reveal all four words
  • EJECTOR SEAT
  • JACK-IN-THE-BOX
  • POP-UP BOOK
  • TOASTER

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with F, H, N and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

FIRM belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DESCRIPTORS FOR SWISS CHEESE

Reveal all four words
  • FIRM
  • HOLEY
  • NUTTY
  • SWISS

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, G, G and S. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BLUE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BLUE CHARACTERS

Reveal all four words
  • BLUE
  • GENIE
  • GONZO
  • SONIC
Show categories only
  • Yellow: PEPPERS
  • Green: THINGS THAT POP UP
  • Blue: DESCRIPTORS FOR SWISS CHEESE
  • Purple: BLUE CHARACTERS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

PEPPERS

BELL PEPPER · CAROLINA REAPER · CHIPOTLE · PEPPERONCINO

Green

THINGS THAT POP UP

EJECTOR SEAT · JACK-IN-THE-BOX · POP-UP BOOK · TOASTER

Blue

DESCRIPTORS FOR SWISS CHEESE

FIRM · HOLEY · NUTTY · SWISS

Purple

BLUE CHARACTERS

BLUE · GENIE · GONZO · SONIC

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.

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.