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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteSpoiler warning: The March 11, 2026 NYT Connections word bank and graduated hints are below, followed by the complete solution. Stop before the spoiler section if you still want to solve the puzzle yourself.
March 11, 2026 Connections word bank
Here are all 16 words in today’s puzzle:
- DRESS
- SNOW
- PALM
- JAZZ
- YEW
- LIFT
- SPRUCE
- TRAFFIC
- PINE
- OUI
- PINCH
- HEE
- ICE CREAM
- SPIFF
- MI
Hints for today’s Connections groups
The New York Times Help Center describes Connections as “a word game that challenges players to find themes between words.” You must divide the 16 entries into four groups of four. These hints move from broad to specific without giving away every answer immediately.
Yellow group hint
Think of ways to take something without permission.
Green group hint
These words can mean to enhance or improve something, particularly with “up.”
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Blue group hint
Look for different kinds of cones. Photoreceptor cells and funnels both point toward this group.
Purple group hint
Say the words aloud. The category is based on sound, and the result can mean “oh wow.”
One example word from each group
- Yellow: LIFT
- Green: SPRUCE
- Blue: SNOW
- Purple: OUI
March 11 Connections answers
Spoilers below. The four completed groups are:
| Category | Words | How they fit |
|---|---|---|
| STEAL | LIFT, PALM, PINCH, POCKET | Each can describe taking something without permission. |
| MAKE NICER, WITH “UP” | DRESS, JAZZ, SPIFF, SPRUCE | Each can follow “up” to mean improve or embellish: dress up, jazz up, spiff up and spruce up. |
| KINDS OF CONES | ICE CREAM, PINE, SNOW, TRAFFIC | These are ice-cream cones, pine cones, snow cones and traffic cones. |
| PRONOUN HOMOPHONES | HEE, MI, OUI, YEW | They sound like “he,” “me,” “we” and “you,” respectively. |
Why the tree-word grouping is a trap
PALM, YEW, SPRUCE and PINE initially look like an obvious set of trees. Connections deliberately includes words that can fit more than one apparent theme, so that grouping is a red herring. SPRUCE belongs with the “make nicer” verbs, PINE belongs with the kinds of cones, PALM belongs with STEAL, and YEW is needed for the sound-based pronoun group.
The purple category is especially easy to miss because meaning is irrelevant: HEE, MI, OUI and YEW are chosen for how they sound when spoken. “OUI” is pronounced like “we,” while “HEE” supplies “he,” creating the wordplay behind the hint “oh wow.”
How to play and when the puzzle resets
Connections gives you 16 words and asks you to make four groups of four. The groups have difficulty colors: Yellow is easiest and Purple is the trickiest. There is one intended solution, and the puzzle becomes available at midnight in your local timezone. You can play through the official Games app or at NYTimes.com. The archive is available to All Access and Games subscribers.
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