NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Wednesday, April 9.

      Connections is one of the premier puzzle games offered by the New York Times. The game challenges players to categorize a selection of 16 words into four concealed (for now) groups by determining how the words are interconnected. Each night at midnight, the puzzle resets, and every new puzzle presents a different level of difficulty. Similar to Wordle, players can track their winning streaks and compare scores with friends.

      Some puzzles can be more challenging than others, much like other NYT Games favorites such as The Mini and Strands. If you're finding today’s puzzle a bit difficult, take a look at our guide for tips and tricks on Connections or refer to the hints for today's puzzle below. If you're still struggling, we’ll provide the answers at the end.

      How to play Connections

      Connections is a daily game focused on finding links between words. Players need to 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

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

      In Connections, a grid of 16 words is displayed — your goal is to group these words into four sets of four by identifying the connections among them. These sets may include themes like video game franchise titles, book series sequels, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, etc.

      Often, certain words may appear to fit multiple themes, but only one answer is unequivocally correct. You can shuffle the grid's words and rearrange them for a better view of potential connections.

      Each group is color-coded. The yellow group is the simplest, followed by green, blue, and purple.

      Select four words and click Submit. If correct, those words will disappear from the grid, and the linking theme will be revealed. An incorrect guess counts as a mistake. You have only four mistakes before the game ends.

      Hints for today’s Connections

      We can assist you in solving today's Connection by providing you with the four themes. If you need additional help, we’ll also share one word from each group below.

      Today’s themes

      ROUND THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS

      PUNCH

      ANIMALS IN THE WITCHES’ BREW IN “MACBETH”

      FOX___

      One-answer reveals

      ROUND THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS – BALL

      PUNCH – POP

      ANIMALS IN THE WITCHES’ BREW IN “MACBETH” – BAT

      FOX___ – GLOVE

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections answers

      Still having trouble? That’s perfectly fine. This puzzle is meant to be challenging. If you're just looking for today’s Connections answers, we've got them listed below:

      ROUND THREE-DIMENSIONAL OBJECTS – BALL, GLOBE, ORB, SPHERE

      PUNCH – POP, POUND, SLUG, SOCK

      ANIMALS IN THE WITCHES’ BREW IN “MACBETH” – BAT, DOG, FROG, NEWT

      FOX___ – GLOVE, HOLE, HOUND, TROT

      Connections grids vary greatly and change daily. If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, be sure to return tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs

      When does the Connections puzzle update?

      The puzzle refreshes daily at midnight local time.

      Who is responsible for editing the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, oversees Connections daily.

      "A few months ago, a new task crossed my desk: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been approved and required an editor," Liu noted in an article detailing her experience in June 2024. "Most of my puzzle background has been with crosswords, so I was eager to explore something new. I’ve enjoyed learning about the puzzle editing process once a game is approved and observing how our team fits within a broader framework."

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections' launch earlier this year, Liu shared a TikTok highlighting her favorite puzzles to date:

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