Looking for help with today's NYT Connections? Here are all the hints, clues, and answers for Connections #1011 on March 18, 2026.
What Is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections challenges players to group 16 words into four categories of four, finding the hidden theme that links each group. Categories are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is easiest, green is medium, blue is hard, and purple is the trickiest. You get four mistakes before the game ends.
If you enjoy word puzzles, also check out our March 17, 2026 NYT Connections #1010 hints and answers.
How to Play Connections
- Group four words that share a hidden common theme
- Start with the color you feel most confident about
- Use the shuffle button to spot patterns you may have missed
- Share your results on social media, just like Wordle
Hints for Connections #1011 — March 18, 2026
Not ready for the full answers? Here are gentle category hints:
- 🟨 Yellow (Easiest): Think about gaps in time — spaces between two moments or events
- 🟩 Green: Physical and verbal reactions to sudden, sharp pain
- 🟦 Blue: Equipment that guitarists use to shape and colour their sound on stage
- 🟪 Purple (Hardest): A two-word phrase — the missing first word pairs with "check" to make a common compound word or expression. Watch here that could easily belong elsewhere.
Today's Connections Categories — March 18, 2026
Here are the actual category names:
- 🟨 Yellow: INTERVAL
- 🟩 Green: REACT TO A STUBBED TOE
- 🟦 Blue: GUITAR EFFECTS PEDALS
- 🟪 Purple: ___ CHECK
Full answers:
- 🟨 INTERVAL: Patch, Period, Spell, Stretch
- 🟩 REACT TO A STUBBED TOE: Curse, Hop, Wince, Yell
- 🟦 GUITAR EFFECTS PEDALS: Delay, Reverb, Wah, Whammy
- 🟪 ___ CHECK: Blank, Coat, Rain, Reality
Today's puzzle had some clever misdirection built in. DELAY, for instance, feels like it could slot into the interval/time-gap category alongside Spell and Stretch — but it belongs firmly with the guitar effects pedals. Similarly, BLANK and REALITY look like they could anchor an abstract or philosophical theme, but the key is pairing each with "check": blank check, coat check, rain check, and reality check are all well-known expressions.
Tips for Solving Today's Puzzle
Don't let DELAY fool you. It reads naturally as a synonym for a gap in time, but today it belongs in the guitar effects pedals group. Lock in INTERVAL first using Patch, Period, Spell, and Stretch.
The ___ CHECK purple group requires compound-word thinking. Ask yourself which words can precede "check" to form a real phrase — blank check, coat check, rain check, and reality check are all everyday expressions.
The stubbed-toe green group is physical and visceral. Curse, Hop, Wince, and Yell are all instinctive responses to sudden pain — once you visualise the scenario, this group snaps into place.
For the blue guitar pedals group, think pedalboard. Delay, Reverb, Wah, and Whammy are all physical effects units that guitarists use to alter their tone — a handy fact if you're not a musician.
Don't feel discouraged if today's puzzle stumped you. A brand new Connections puzzle resets at midnight, and we'll have fresh hints and answers ready.