Can’t get past the yellow category in today’s Connections? We’re here to help. First, we’ll give you vague hints to get your mind moving in the right direction. If that doesn’t help, there’s one work from each category waiting for you. Following that, we’ll present the list of themes. If that doesn’t help you crack the puzzle, you can take a look at the answers. So, without further ado, here are all the hints, clues, and answers for today’s NYT Connections puzzle (#1033, April 9, 2026).
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In This Article
What is Connections?
Connections is a daily puzzle game from the New York Times. You can play it on your mobile or PC by clicking this link. The aim of the puzzle is pretty straightforward – you are supposed to find 4 groups of 4 words with common themes. These groups are arranged in 4 levels of difficulty: Yellow (Easiest), Green, Blue, and Purple (Toughest). While this may seem simple, the puzzle often has some red herrings that can catch you off guard. Oftentimes, the Purple category can be a headscratcher with themes that may have something to do with the nomenclature rather than the meaning of the words. You never really know for sure what’s coming your way, and that’s what keeps Connections fresh!
First, let’s take a look at today’s grid
- RAM
- JACK
- RIP
- GOAT
- BLUE
- YOKE
- CREAM
- LOW
- FISH
- DOWN
- DARK
- PASTE
- SHRED
- RUB
- ARCHER
- BALM
Hints for NYT Connections (#1033) April 9, 2026
These hints do not contain any spoilers. They will nudge you in the right direction without giving away any answers.
- Yellow Group: Not feeling too well.
- Green Group: Something you apply to your skin.
- Blue Group: Something to do with astrology.
- Purple Group: What you might say to a bodybuilder.
- Extra hint: ‘RIP’ does not mean ‘Rest in Peace’.
One Word Per Category (Contains Spoilers)
Not able to spot any underlying themes or commonalities? We’ll help you get started. Here is one word for every group in today’s puzzle.
- Yellow Group: Blue.
- Green Group: Balm.
- Blue Group: Archer.
- Purple Group: Jack.
List of Themes (Major Spoilers)
If the last round of hints didn’t help, maybe it’s time to look up the themes and retrospectively find the connections.
- Yellow Group: Gloomy.
- Green Group: Ointment.
- Blue Group: Zodiac symbols.
- Purple Group: Muscular, minus “ed” sound.
Answers for NYT Connections (#1033) April 9, 2026
On your last attempt, and don’t want to ruin the streak? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- Yellow Group: Blue, Dark, Down, Low (Gloomy).
- Green Group: Balm, Cream, Paste, Rub (Ointment).
- Blue Group: Archer, Fish, Goat, Ram (Zodiac symbols).
- Purple Group: Jack, Rip, Shred, Yoke (Muscular, minus “ed” sound).
Answers to yesterday’s Connections puzzle
- Yellow Group: Associate, Colleague, Fellow, Peer (Cohort Member).
- Green Group: Design, Look, Scheme, Style (Aesthetic).
- Blue Group: Monkey, Parallel, Pull-up, Uneven (Kinds of bar apparatuses).
- Purple Group: Contact, Goggle, Shade, Spectacle (Eyewear in the singular).
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What we think
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle was rated 1.8 out of 5 for difficulty. Were you able to crack it without making any mistakes? Let us know in the comments!



