NYT Connections Answer

Whether you’re a musician, a wordplay wizard, or just someone who has unfortunately stubbed their toe once or twice, today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a little bit of everything. The grid for March 18, 2026, offers a satisfying mix of synonyms and specific trivia.

If you’re looking for a quick nudge or the full answer for 2026-03-18, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s break down today’s groups!

Today's NYT Connections Hints

Before we reveal the categories, here are some hints to help you solve them on your own:

• Yellow Category Hint: All these words describe a specific duration of time.
• Green Category Hint: Think about your immediate reaction after hitting your foot against a heavy table.
• Blue Category Hint: This one is for the music lovers—specifically those who play the electric guitar.
• Purple Category Hint: Every word in this group is followed by the same five-letter word to form a common phrase.

NYT Connections Answer for March 18, 2026

If you’re ready for the full reveal, here are the four categories and their respective words.

Yellow: INTERVAL

These words all represent a chunk of time, whether brief or extended.

• PATCH, PERIOD, SPELL, STRETCH

Explanation: We often use these to describe a timeframe, like a "dry spell," a "rough patch," or a "long stretch." They all denote a span of time with a specific characteristic.

Green: REACT TO A STUBBED TOE

We’ve all been there—the sharp pain and the immediate, involuntary response.

• CURSE, HOP, WINCE, YELL

Explanation: When you stub your toe, you might WINCE in pain, HOP around on one foot, YELL out loud, or let a few CURSE words fly. It’s a universal experience captured in four simple words.

Blue: GUITAR EFFECTS PEDALS

This group might be the "trickiest" if you aren’t a gearhead, but the words are iconic in the world of music.

• DELAY, REVERB, WAH, WHAMMY

Explanation: These are all common names for guitar effect pedals. A WAH pedal (think Jimi Hendrix) and a WHAMMY bar/pedal are very specific tools used to change a guitar's pitch or tone, while DELAY and REVERB are staples of sound engineering.

Purple: ___ CHECK

The classic "fill-in-the-blank" category that Wyna Liu loves to include.

• BLANK, COAT, RAIN, REALITY

Explanation: Each of these words precedes "CHECK" to make a common compound term: BLANK check, COAT check, RAIN check, and REALITY check.

Puzzle Strategy & Review

Today’s puzzle was a masterclass in varied difficulty. The Yellow group felt very approachable, as synonyms for time intervals are common in daily speech. Green was also quite intuitive once you linked a few of the physical reactions together.

The Blue category (Guitar Pedals) served as the "expert knowledge" category. If you aren't familiar with "Wah" or "Whammy," those words might have looked like nonsense! However, by using the process of elimination and identifying the Purple "Check" category, even non-musicians could find their way to the finish line.

If you struggled with today's NYT Connections hint, don't sweat it—every day is a new chance to sharpen your vocabulary!

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you play NYT Connections?

The goal is to find groups of four words that share something in common. Select four words and tap "Submit" to see if you're right. You have four lives (mistakes) before the game ends.

When does the NYT Connections puzzle reset?

The puzzle resets every night at midnight in your local time zone.

What do the colors mean in Connections?

The colors indicate the difficulty level of the category:

• Yellow: Straightforward/Easiest
• Green: Intermediate
• Blue: Challenging (often involves specific trivia)
• Purple: Tricky (often involves wordplay or "fill-in-the-blank")

Can I play past NYT Connections puzzles?

Yes, the New York Times maintains an archive for Games subscribers, and there are several unofficial fan-made archives online that allow you to play previous dates.