NYT Connections #1044: April 20, 2026 – Hints, Answers & Strategy

Today’s Words

CYBER • HOURGLASS • BLUE • CLOUD • ROD • WEB • MANIC • NET • PUFF • VENOM • HOOK • BILLOW • BAIT • PLUME • MEATLESS • CANNIBALISM

Group Hints

Yellow (Easiest): A bunch of fumes
Green: Used for angling
Blue: Linked to an infamous arachnid
Purple (Hardest): Start the week

Group Answers

Yellow – MASS OF SMOKE: BILLOW, CLOUD, PLUME, PUFF
Green – FISHING GEAR: BAIT, HOOK, NET, ROD
Blue – ASSOCIATED WITH BLACK WIDOW SPIDERS: CANNIBALISM, HOURGLASS, VENOM, WEB
Purple – _____ MONDAY: BLUE, CYBER, MANIC, MEATLESS

Today’s Challenge Rating: Easy

I nailed this one with a perfect score—my 33rd “Purple First”! Music knowledge helped me spot the Monday theme early with Blue Monday by New Order and Prince’s Manic Monday (made famous by The Bangles). The alliteration in “Meatless Monday” sealed that group.

The Black Widow spider connection was next, though I found the yellow and green groups more obvious. This puzzle felt surprisingly straightforward, but I’m not complaining!

Yesterday’s Answers (April 19, Game #1043)

Yellow – CHEEKY: ARCH, FRESH, SASSY, WISE
Green – DRESS MEASUREMENTS: BUST, HIPS, LENGTH, WAIST
Blue – CARDS IN TEXAS HOLD ‘EM: FLOP, HOLE, RIVER, TURN
Purple – LAST WORDS OF CANDY BRANDS IN SINGULAR: CAP, DUD, KID, MINT

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is the New York Times’ addictive word association game that challenges players to find four groups of four words sharing common themes. Each category has a difficulty level: yellow (easy), green (medium), blue (hard), and purple (very hard).

You get four mistakes before game over, which provides some breathing room. The game often includes clever wordplay, homophones, and tricky associations designed to trip you up.

Play free at NYT Games on desktop or mobile.

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“NYT Connections today was easier than finding matching socks in my drawer!”
“Purple group first? That’s my 33rd victory dance!”
“Black Widow spiders: the OG cannibal queens of the arachnid world”
“Meatless Monday, Cyber Monday, Manic Monday, Blue Monday—which one’s your favorite?”
“When your music knowledge pays off in word puzzles”
“Four mistakes allowed? That’s four more chances to prove I’m not a genius”
“NYT Connections: where fishing gear meets smoke plumes and Mondays”
“The Monday group was so obvious I almost doubted myself”
“Another perfect score! My Wordle streak is shaking”
“NYT Connections is the only Monday motivation I need”

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