The New York Times continues to expand its reach in digital puzzles with Connections, a daily word challenge that blends logic, vocabulary, and pattern recognition. The April 28 puzzle (#1052) stands out for its clever grouping logic, requiring players to look beyond obvious meanings and identify subtle links between words.
With layered categories and occasional misdirection, the game keeps even experienced solvers on their toes. This guide walks you through today’s puzzle with refined hints, complete answers, and useful solving strategies.
What is NYT’s ‘Connections’ game
Connections is a daily word game from The New York Times that encourages players to think critically while expanding their vocabulary. Featuring four colour-coded tiers—Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple—it balances accessibility with increasing complexity. Its rising popularity online reflects how engaging and mentally rewarding the challenge has become.
Connections focuses on recognising relationships rather than solving clues. Players are presented with 16 words and must divide them into four groups of four, each linked by a shared idea, theme, or linguistic pattern.
If today’s puzzle felt tricky, the hints below offer guidance without giving away the answers immediately.
NYT Connections hints for April 28, 2026
Try these reworked clues to guide your thinking:
- Yellow: Words you might use when urging or persuading someone
- Green: Everyday tasks involved in dealing with freshly cleaned clothes
- Blue: Terms that commonly form familiar items when paired with “book”
- Purple: Words that create well-known expressions when placed after “sun”
NYT Connections answers for April 28, 2026
Here are the correct groupings for today’s puzzle:
- Yellow – ENTREATY: APPEAL, BID, CALL, REQUEST
- Green – LAUNDRY DAY VERBS: DRY, FOLD, SORT, WASH
- Blue – THINGS THAT COME IN “BOOKS”: CHECK, COUPON, MATCH, STAMP
- Purple – SUN___: DIAL, FLOWER, SCREEN, TAN
How to play NYT Connections
- Understand the objective: You’ll be given 16 words. The goal is to sort them into four connected groups of four.
- Access the puzzle: A new puzzle is released daily via The New York Times website and app.
- Begin analysing: Scan the list and identify any clear relationships or familiar pairings.
- Submit your choices: Select four words that seem connected and check your grouping.
- Evaluate feedback: Correct groups are locked in with colour indicators, while incorrect guesses reduce your chances.
- Track attempts: You have four mistakes available before the puzzle ends.
Difficulty levels explained
- Yellow: Straightforward connections
- Green & Blue: Moderate complexity
- Purple: Most challenging, often involving wordplay or indirect links
Strategies for solving NYT Connections
- Start with the most obvious connections to reduce complexity
- Use elimination to focus on remaining words
- Think beyond definitions—look for phrases or patterns
- Be cautious of misleading groupings designed to distract
Other NYT games to explore
If you enjoy Connections, The New York Times offers several other puzzles:
- NYT Mini Crossword: A quick daily crossword
- Spelling Bee: Build words from a limited letter set
- Wordle: Guess a five-letter word within six attempts
- Strands: A modern take on word search puzzles
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