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Spoilers: The Friday, March 27, 2026, NYT Connections puzzle was game #1020. Its groups were essentials, airport-terminal features, orange things, and words associated with cellular connectivity. Here are all 16 tiles and the complete solution.
Connections answers for March 27, 2026
| Color | Category | Tiles |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | What it all boils down to | BASIC FACTS, BOTTOM LINE, BRASS TACKS, NITTY-GRITTY |
| Green | Features of an airport terminal | BAGGAGE CLAIM, DUTY-FREE, FOOD COURT, TICKET COUNTER |
| Blue | Things that are orange | GOLDFISH CRACKER, MONARCH BUTTERFLY, THE LORAX, TRAFFIC CONE |
| Purple | Ending in words for cellular connectivity | LIP SERVICE, MONKEY BARS, TURN SIGNAL, WEDDING RECEPTION |
Why the groups fit
Yellow: What it all boils down to
BASIC FACTS, BOTTOM LINE, BRASS TACKS, and NITTY-GRITTY all point to the essential details or core of a matter. BASIC FACTS makes the shared idea especially clear; the others are familiar idioms for getting to the fundamentals.
Green: Features of an airport terminal
BAGGAGE CLAIM, DUTY-FREE, FOOD COURT, and TICKET COUNTER are services or places a traveler may find in an airport terminal.
Blue: Things that are orange
The four references are a GOLDFISH CRACKER, MONARCH BUTTERFLY, THE LORAX, and TRAFFIC CONE.
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Purple: Ending in words for cellular connectivity
Read the final word in each phrase: LIP SERVICE, MONKEY BARS, TURN SIGNAL, and WEDDING RECEPTION. Service, bars, signal, and reception can all describe cellular connectivity.
The misleading overlap
TRAFFIC CONE and TURN SIGNAL both bring roads or driving to mind, but they belong to different groups: one is an orange thing, while the other ends in a cellular-connectivity term. That kind of overlap is part of the game’s challenge: its 16 words may suggest more than one possible connection even though each puzzle has one intended solution.
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How Connections works
Connections asks players to sort 16 words into four groups of four that share a theme. The groups are color-coded from yellow (easiest) through green and blue to purple (trickiest). The New York Times says its editors curate the words and categories using the Oxford Dictionary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Playing or replaying the puzzle
The game releases daily at midnight in each player’s local timezone, so the date called “today’s puzzle” can differ depending on where and when someone plays. The New York Times says Connections is free to play on its listed platforms. Its archive goes back to June 12, 2023, and archive access is limited to All Access and Games subscribers.
Quick Recap
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