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Spoiler warning: This guide gives the clues for NYT Connections #997 first, followed by one-word reveals and the complete answers. Stop reading whenever you have enough help to finish the puzzle yourself.
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NYT Connections #997 words for Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Here are the 16 words in today’s puzzle:
GOSSIP · HOUND · NEW · TOY · SPORTING · WORKING · BOOK · FAIR · SHADOW · GONE · BIKE · TRACK · SQUARE · VIDEO GAME · TAIL · HONEST
The Tool Desk
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Hints for Connections #997
These clues become progressively more direct. The category colors follow the usual Connections order: yellow, green, blue, then purple.
- Yellow: Go after it.
- Green: Compete or behave in a respectful manner.
- Blue: Gifts that might have excited a child in a previous era or still do today.
- Purple: Titles that can be completed with the word “Girl.”
One answer from each category
Still trying to solve the puzzle? Here is one representative word from each group:
Rank #2
- Yellow: TRACK
- Green: FAIR
- Blue: BOOK
- Purple: NEW
Connections #997 answers for March 4, 2026
The four completed categories are:
| Color | Category | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Pursue | HOUND, SHADOW, TAIL, TRACK |
| Green | Sportsmanlike | FAIR, HONEST, SPORTING, SQUARE |
| Blue | Classic kid gifts | BIKE, BOOK, TOY, VIDEO GAME |
| Purple | “_____ Girl” titles | GONE, GOSSIP, NEW, WORKING |
How the four groups work
Yellow: PURSUE — HOUND, SHADOW, TAIL, TRACK
Each of these words can describe following someone or going after a person, animal, or objective. To hound someone is to pursue them persistently. To shadow someone is to follow them closely. To tail someone is to follow them secretly, while to track someone or something is to follow a trail or identify their location.
Green: SPORTSMANLIKE — FAIR, HONEST, SPORTING, SQUARE
These words describe fair, honorable, or even-handed behavior. Sporting is the clearest signpost, while fair and honest fit naturally. In this category, square means fair or straightforward—not a four-sided shape.
Rank #3
Blue: CLASSIC KID GIFTS — BIKE, BOOK, TOY, VIDEO GAME
These are familiar gifts for children. Here, bike means a bicycle rather than a motorcycle. A book, toy, or video game can all be bought as presents, with “video game” providing the most modern entry in this group.
Purple: “_____ GIRL” TITLES — GONE, GOSSIP, NEW, WORKING
Add Girl after each word to get a recognizable title: Gone Girl, Gossip Girl, New Girl, and Working Girl. This is the wordplay-heavy category, and it is often easiest to confirm once the other groups have removed the more tempting alternatives.
Tricky words and red herrings
- SPORTING and HONEST strongly point toward the sportsmanlike group, but FAIR and SQUARE complete it.
- BOOK may suggest reading, writing, or publishing, but it belongs with the child-gift group.
- BIKE is intended as a bicycle in this puzzle.
- SQUARE is being used in the sense of fair or honorable, not as a geometric object.
- HOUND, SHADOW, and TAIL use pursuit-related meanings that may be less immediate than their everyday noun senses.
How difficult is Connections #997?
This is a moderate puzzle. The yellow, green, and blue groups are based on meanings or familiar gift categories, but several words can initially seem to fit more than one set. The purple category depends on recognizing entertainment titles ending in “Girl,” so it may be the last group many players identify.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Want more Connections puzzles?
The New York Times Games and Wyna Liu have an upcoming hardcover collection, Connections: Find the Common Threads in 100+ Puzzles of Wit and Wordplay. It is listed as a 192-page book scheduled for October 27, 2026. The publisher describes it as a collection with exclusive puzzles, so do not assume that it includes puzzle #997. Release timing and retailer availability may vary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the NYT Connections answers for March 4, 2026?
The four groups are PURSUE: HOUND, SHADOW, TAIL, TRACK; SPORTSMANLIKE: FAIR, HONEST, SPORTING, SQUARE; CLASSIC KID GIFTS: BIKE, BOOK, TOY, VIDEO GAME; and “_____ GIRL” TITLES: GONE, GOSSIP, NEW, WORKING.
What is today’s Connections puzzle number?
The puzzle is Connections #997. Daily Connections games generally become available at midnight in the player’s local time zone, so the date can differ for readers near a time-zone boundary.
The Bottom Line
Today’s Connections solution is: PURSUE (HOUND, SHADOW, TAIL, TRACK); SPORTSMANLIKE (FAIR, HONEST, SPORTING, SQUARE); CLASSIC KID GIFTS (BIKE, BOOK, TOY, VIDEO GAME); and “_____ GIRL” TITLES (GONE, GOSSIP, NEW, WORKING).
Quick Recap
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