NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Wednesday, March 5.

      Connections is one of the top puzzle games offered by the New York Times. The objective of the game is to categorize a set of 16 words into four hidden groups by determining how the words are interconnected. Every night at midnight, the puzzle resets, and each new puzzle presents a different level of challenge. Similar to Wordle, you can monitor your winning streak and compare your scores with friends.

      Some days may prove more difficult than others, akin to other favorite NYT Games like The Mini and Strands. If you're facing challenges with today's puzzle, you can refer to our tips and tricks guide for Connections for helpful strategies or consult the hints below for today's puzzle. If you still can’t figure it out, we will provide today's answers at the end.

      How to play Connections

      Connections is a daily game focused on identifying common threads among words. Players must choose four groups of four words while making no more than three mistakes. Play now.

      You can enjoy Connections on the New York Times website or by using the NYT Games app on iOS or Android.

      In Connections, you will see a grid containing 16 words — your goal is to organize these words into four sets of four by recognizing the connections between them. These groups may relate to themes such as names of video game franchises, sequels of book series, shades of red, or names of restaurant chains.

      The words may appear to fit multiple themes, but there is only one completely correct solution. You can shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them for better visibility of potential links.

      Each group is color-coded, with the yellow group being the easiest to identify, followed by green, blue, and purple.

      Select four words and click Submit. If you are correct, those four words will be removed from the grid, and the theme that connects them will be shown. A wrong guess will count as a mistake, and you have a maximum of four mistakes before the game concludes.

      Hints for today’s Connections

      We can assist you in solving today’s Connections by providing the four themes. If you need further help, we will also share one word from each group below.

      Today’s themes:

      PERIPHERY

      THINGS PEOPLE DO TO FINGERNAILS

      WHAT MIGHT BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES

      ___ BALL RECREATIONAL SPORTS

      One-answer reveals:

      PERIPHERY – BORDER

      THINGS PEOPLE DO TO FINGERNAILS – BITE

      WHAT MIGHT BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES – ALLERGY

      ___ BALL RECREATIONAL SPORTS – DODGE

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections answers:

      Still having trouble? That’s completely fine. This puzzle is made to be challenging. If you simply want to know today’s Connections answers, we have them listed below:

      PERIPHERY – BORDER, EDGE, FRINGE, SKIRT

      THINGS PEOPLE DO TO FINGERNAILS – BITE, CLIP, FILE, PAINT

      WHAT MIGHT BRING TEARS TO YOUR EYES – ALLERGY, MELODRAMA, ONION, RELIEF

      ___ BALL RECREATIONAL SPORTS – DODGE, KICK, PICKLE, SOFT

      Connections grids differ significantly and change each day. If today’s puzzle stumped you, be sure to return tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs

      What time does the Connections puzzle change?

      The puzzle updates daily at midnight local time.

      Who edits the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, is responsible for editing Connections daily. “A few months ago, a new assignment came my way: to create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently received approval and needed an editor,” Liu explained in an article detailing her process in June 2024. Most of my previous puzzle experience has been in crosswords, and I was thrilled at the opportunity to explore something different. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing unfolds once a game gets the green light and witnessing how our team contributes to a larger ecosystem.”

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu shared this TikTok highlighting her favorite puzzles thus far:

      @thegamesteam ? happy one-year anniversary to Connections, our newest official NYT game ? #nytgames #nytconnections #nyt ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music