A little help. Your own aha.

Connections #1043
hints & answers for April 19, 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 19, 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 A, F, S and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

ARCH belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CHEEKY

Reveal all four words
  • ARCH
  • FRESH
  • SASSY
  • WISE

Green group

A little trickier

2/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with B, H, L and W. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

BUST belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

DRESS MEASUREMENTS

Reveal all four words
  • BUST
  • HIPS
  • LENGTH
  • WAIST

Blue group

More challenging

3/4
First-letter clue

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

Show one word

FLOP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

CARDS IN TEXAS HOLD 'EM

Reveal all four words
  • FLOP
  • HOLE
  • RIVER
  • TURN

Purple group

Wordplay & surprises

4/4
First-letter clue

Look for four entries beginning with C, D, K and M. These initials are in sorted order.

Show one word

CAP belongs in this group.

Reveal the category

LAST WORDS OF CANDY BRANDS IN THE SINGULAR

Reveal all four words
  • CAP
  • DUD
  • KID
  • MINT
Show categories only
  • Yellow: CHEEKY
  • Green: DRESS MEASUREMENTS
  • Blue: CARDS IN TEXAS HOLD 'EM
  • Purple: LAST WORDS OF CANDY BRANDS IN THE SINGULAR

Ready for the full solution?

All four categories and their words, together.

Reveal all four answers

Yellow

CHEEKY

ARCH · FRESH · SASSY · WISE

Green

DRESS MEASUREMENTS

BUST · HIPS · LENGTH · WAIST

Blue

CARDS IN TEXAS HOLD 'EM

FLOP · HOLE · RIVER · TURN

Purple

LAST WORDS OF CANDY BRANDS IN THE SINGULAR

CAP · DUD · KID · MINT

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.