Almost done with your morning coffee and still can’t find any breakthrough with today’s Connections? You’ve landed on the right page. If you don’t want the answers right away, we will point you in the right direction with some general hints. This will be followed by the revelation of one word from each category. As you scroll down, you will see the themes for today’s puzzle, followed by the answers. So, without further ado, here are the hints, clues, and answers to today’s NYT Connections (#1040, April 16, 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
- COOL
- WHIP
- MASK
- RIDE
- NEEDLE
- CAMP
- FAN
- WHEELS
- AUTO
- BODYSUIT
- HEAT
- ROAST
- DAY
- CLAWS
- BRA
- RIB
Hints for NYT Connections (#1040) April 16, 2026
These hints do not contain any spoilers. They will nudge you in the right direction without giving away any answers.
- Yellow Group: Engaging in friendly banter.
- Green Group: Buttons on a home gadget.
- Blue Group: Selina Kyle.
- Purple Group: The common word that precedes these words means ‘preparing for something’.
- Extra hint: ‘Cool’ and ‘Whip’ don’t go together.
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: Needle.
- Green Group: Auto.
- Blue Group: Bodysuit.
- Purple Group: Bra.
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: Tease.
- Green Group: Thermostat settings.
- Blue Group: Features of a Catwoman costume.
- Purple Group: Training ___.
Answers to NYT Connections (#1040) April 16, 2026
On your last attempt, and don’t want to ruin the streak? Fine, we’ll give you the answers.
- Yellow Group: Needle, Rib, Ride, Roast (Tease).
- Green Group: Auto, Cool, Fan, Heat (Thermostat settings).
- Blue Group: Bodysuit, Claws, Mask, Whip (Features of a Catwoman costume).
- Purple Group: Bra, Camp, Day, Wheels (Training ___).
Answers to yesterday’s Connections puzzle
- Yellow Group: Cap, Diploma, Gown, Tassel (Graduation gear).
- Green Group: Chore, Grind, Hassle, Trial (Tedious undertaking).
- Blue Group: Facile, Flip, Shallow, Trite (Oversimplistic).
- Purple Group: Castle, Crown, Horse, Miter (Shapes of chess pieces).
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What we think
Today’s NYT Connections puzzle was rated 2 out of 5 for difficulty. Were you able to crack it without making any mistakes? Let us know in the comments!
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