NYT Connections Hints Today: Check Answers and Clues, April 21, 2026

A new type of daily online word puzzle from The New York Times called Connections is now available to players, in which they visually connect 16 unrelated items based on how each group of items relate to one another. 

Players are expected to connect the 16 random words given in order to produce four sets of four related words from the group of 16 words provided. 

The primary purpose of this game is to connect all 16 words so they form one overall connection that has four separate groups of related words from the 16 given. 

Players are permitted to retrieve the four groups that comprise their common group from all 16 random words and all four common groups will be valid until April 21, 2026. 

Each puzzle's relative difficulty will be classified with three levels of difficulty per puzzle. Therefore the four sets of four words that comprise the completed puzzle will be categorized with three different difficulty levels so that they are easier to play.

Check Out: What Is NYT Connections? The New York Times Puzzle Game Explained

Hints for NYT Connections April 21, 2026  

Here are the hints for NYT Connections, April 21, 2026, Puzzle #1045. 

You have to club four words together that belong to the same category, which will get sorted into 5 colours: yellow, green, blue, and purple. 

You just need to be good at pattern recognition and the ability to sort them into the correct categories. 

YELLOW: AMBLE

GREEN: BALDERDASH

BLUE: KINDS OF BAGS

PURPLE: STARTS OF ONE-WORD JAMES BOND MOVIE TITLES

Let us find out the answers to today’s NYT Connections! Let us see how many you were able to get right! 

NYT Connections Answers for April 21, 2026 (Tuesday)

Here are the solutions for NYT Connections Puzzle #1045 for April 21, 2026! 

Let us find out the answers to today’s NYT Connections! Let us see how many you were able to get right! 

Below you will see the four categories from today’s game, including the correct words that make up each set. Match these answers to your guesses of each category!

YELLOW: AMBLE (IN) (BREEZE, MOSEY, STROLL, WALTZ)

GREEN: BALDERDASH (BALONEY, BILGE, BULL, BUNK)

BLUE: KINDS OF BAGS (CROSSBODY, HOBO, MESSENGER, SADDLE)

PURPLE: STARTS OF ONE-WORD JAMES BOND MOVIE TITLES (GOLD, MOON, OCTOPUS, THUNDER)

What is the NYT Connections Game?

NYT Connections is a word game from The New York Times where you can match up 16 totally unrelated words into 4 categories based on what they are. 

In order to complete the puzzle, players need to use logic, strategy and patience as well as vocabulary, reasoning and pattern recognition skills to increase the speed at which they complete their puzzles because they use logic to do so. 

Participants of all ages will find this to be a very rewarding and challenging activity.

How to Play the NYT Connections Puzzle?

In the Connections game, every person will have 16 disconnected randomly picked words. So, the letters used by one person will not relate at all to the letters used by another person.

 Each participant will have to depend upon the specific attributes of the individual letters within their assortment of letters when deciding how to group them into four separate sets. 

There will be many letters that could go into multiple sets, so each participant will have to be using logical reasoning as well as paying close attention to all of the details in order to accurately classify the 18 letters into their corresponding sets. 

Participants will be required to use a combination of pattern recognition and strategic thinking and be prepared to make mistakes in order to successfully complete this puzzle.

Best Strategies to Solve NYT Connections Puzzles

When players search for words within an NYT Connections Puzzle, they will want to begin with the greatest cluster (most significant group) from which they can find other words. You can do this by looking at previous clusters you have identified within your overall search.

For example, if you have already identified synonyms or other terms that are related to a given category, such as colors, animals, shapes, or professions, this will give you a good starting point of clusters from which to identify new words you can use to complete the NYT Connections Puzzle.

These strategies will give you an increase in the number of words you can use to complete the NYT Connections Puzzle, therefore increasing your chances of completing it at all!

Other NYT Games to Explore

If NYT Connections has become your new favorite, check out other daily brain teasers and games from The New York Times. 

Wordle: Guess a five-letter word in six attempts. 

Spelling Bee: Craft as many words as possible from a set of seven letters.

Mini Crossword: For a quick wordplay, perfect for a coffee break.

That's all for today's NYT Connections puzzle! Be sure to come back tomorrow for NYT Connections Hints and Answers for April 22, 2026.