A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1042
hints & answers for April 18, 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 18, 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 G, M, S and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

GOGGLE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

LOOK AT WITH AWE

Reveal all four words
  • GOGGLE
  • MARVEL
  • STARE
  • WONDER

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with A, D, P and V. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

AC belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

BASIC ELECTRICITY TERMS

Reveal all four words
  • AC
  • DC
  • POWER
  • VOLTAGE

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with D, L, S and U. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

DARK HORSE belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

UNEXPECTED WINNER

Reveal all four words
  • DARK HORSE
  • LONG SHOT
  • SLEEPER
  • UNDERDOG

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

CRUSHWORTHY belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

STARTING WITH SODA BRANDS

Reveal all four words
  • CRUSHWORTHY
  • FANTAGRAPHICS
  • FRESCADE
  • PEPSINOGEN
Show categories only
  • Yellow: LOOK AT WITH AWE
  • Green: BASIC ELECTRICITY TERMS
  • Blue: UNEXPECTED WINNER
  • Purple: STARTING WITH SODA BRANDS

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

LOOK AT WITH AWE

GOGGLE · MARVEL · STARE · WONDER

Green

BASIC ELECTRICITY TERMS

AC · DC · POWER · VOLTAGE

Blue

UNEXPECTED WINNER

DARK HORSE · LONG SHOT · SLEEPER · UNDERDOG

Purple

STARTING WITH SODA BRANDS

CRUSHWORTHY · FANTAGRAPHICS · FRESCADE · PEPSINOGEN

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.