Here are the four reported groups for the New York Times Connections puzzle dated March 26, 2024. The intended categories are musical instruments, plant growths, ways to bring someone up, and solar emanations. Spoilers follow.
March 26 Connections answers
The reported solution partitions the board’s sixteen words into four groups of four:
| Color | Category | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Musical instruments | BASS, BASSOON, HARP, RECORDER |
| Green | Plant growths | BLOOM, BUD, SHOOT, SPROUT |
| Blue | Bring up | FOSTER, NURSE, RAISE, REAR |
| Purple | Solar emanations | CORONA, FLARE, LIGHT, RADIATION |
These groups are reported by CNET and Forbes.
How the groups fit
Yellow: Musical instruments
BASS, BASSOON, HARP, and RECORDER are all instruments. BASS can also refer to a fish or a low vocal range, while RECORDER can mean a device that records sound; here, the instrument readings complete the set.
Green: Plant growths
BLOOM, BUD, SHOOT, and SPROUT describe forms or stages of plant growth.
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- Step into the shoes of CIA agents as you investigate the mysterious murder of an American citizen in 1977 Vienna, uncovering secrets across Europe.
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Blue: Bring up
FOSTER, NURSE, RAISE, and REAR can all mean to care for and bring up a child or young person. NURSE is also a profession, but its verb sense is the one that belongs in this category.
Purple: Solar emanations
CORONA, FLARE, LIGHT, and RADIATION are associated with emissions from the Sun. Some words can suggest other connections—BUD, CORONA, LIGHT, and FOSTER may evoke beer names or descriptions—but the full four-word partition points to the intended categories.
Was this puzzle #289 or #290?
The canonical title and the answer guides cited above identify the March 26, 2024 board as Puzzle #289. One archive listing instead labels that date #290, so the number is not consistent across every listing. The New York Times Help Center explains archive access but does not confirm this board’s number.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you replay the March 26 puzzle?
The New York Times Help Center says its Connections archive goes back to June 12, 2023 and is available to All Access and Games subscribers. It can be accessed through NYT Games on the web and in its apps. See the NYT Games Help Center for archive details.
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- Two teams race to identify their agents from a 5×5 grid, guided by a spymaster who knows each card’s identity
- Spymasters give one-word clues and a number to link multiple cards, encouraging creative thinking
- Teammates guess words matching the clue while avoiding the other team’s agents, bystanders, and the assassin
- Revealing the assassin ends the game instantly, adding high-stakes tension
- Teams may guess up to the clue number plus one, allowing strategic risks or revisiting old clues
Connections presents sixteen words that players sort into four groups of four. A 2024 paper describes the task as drawing on common linguistic knowledge and lateral or abstract thinking: the paper’s abstract.
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