NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Sunday, March 16

      Connections is regarded as one of the top puzzle games from the New York Times. In this game, you are tasked with organizing a set of 16 words into four undisclosed groups by determining the relationships between the words. The puzzle is reset every night at midnight, and each new puzzle presents a different level of difficulty. Similar to Wordle, you can track your winning streak and compare scores with friends.

      Some days are more challenging than others, much like other popular NYT Games such as The Mini and Strands. If you encounter difficulties with today's puzzle, you can refer to our Connections tips and tricks guide for effective strategies, or take a look at the hints for today’s Connections puzzle listed below. If you're still stuck, we’ll provide the answers at the end.

      How to play Connections

      Connections is a daily challenge focused on identifying links among words. Players must choose four groups of four words while making no more than three errors. Play now. https://t.co/YITfSnqODb pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs

      — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024

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      You can play Connections on the New York Times website or through the NYT Games app available for iOS or Android.

      In Connections, you will see a grid of 16 words. Your goal is to group these words into four sets of four by recognizing their connections. These sets may include themes such as video game franchise titles, book series, shades of red, restaurant chain names, and more.

      Although some words may appear to fit multiple themes, there is only one correct grouping. You can shuffle the words in the grid and rearrange them to better visualize potential connections.

      Each group is represented by a color code. The easiest group to identify is yellow, followed by green, blue, and purple.

      Select four words and click Submit. If your selection is correct, those four words will be eliminated from the grid, and the connecting theme will be revealed. Incorrect guesses will count as mistakes. You have a limit of four mistakes for each game.

      Hints for today’s Connections

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

      Today’s themes

      BUNCH

      ENDING WITH SILENT “T”

      SERIAL KILLER MOVIES

      STARTING WITH CONSTELLATIONS

      One-answer reveals

      BUNCH – CLUSTER

      ENDING WITH SILENT “T” – BALLET

      SERIAL KILLER MOVIES – MONSTER

      STARTING WITH CONSTELLATIONS – DRACONIAN

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections answers

      Still facing challenges? That’s alright. This puzzle is meant to be tough. If you’d like to see today’s Connections answers, here they are:

      BUNCH – CLUSTER, COLLECTION, CONSTELLATION, GROUP

      ENDING WITH SILENT “T” – BALLET, DEBUT, RAPPORT, TAROT

      SERIAL KILLER MOVIES – MONSTER, PSYCHO, SEVEN, ZODIAC

      STARTING WITH CONSTELLATIONS – DRACONIAN, HYDRANT, LEONARDO, LIBRARY

      Connections grids vary significantly and change every day. If you were unable to solve today’s puzzle, be sure to check back tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs

      What time does the Connections puzzle refresh?

      The puzzle refreshes every day at midnight local time.

      Who oversees the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles for The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections on a daily basis. Liu mentioned in a June 2024 article about her process, “A few months ago, a new assignment crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been approved and was looking for an editor. Most of my puzzle experience has been with crosswords, and I was eager to try something different. I enjoyed learning how puzzle editing unfolds once a game is approved and understanding how our team fits within a wider framework.”

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections launched earlier this year, Liu shared this TikTok showcasing her favorite puzzles so 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