The NYT Connections puzzle #1014 for March 21, 2026 is one of those boards that starts off cleanly and then gets more layered as you look closer. The yellow group is very accessible, but the puzzle becomes trickier once you begin sorting words with multiple meanings. The purple category gives the board an especially fun twist, and as the original write-up notes, English majors may feel especially at home there.
This puzzle was covered by Gael Cooper and published on March 20, 2026 at 1:01 p.m. PT. Along with the daily hints and answers, the source also points readers toward the latest hints for other New York Times word games including Wordle, Strands, the Mini Crossword, and Connections: Sports Edition.
You can play the official puzzle on the New York Times Connections page. After you finish, you can also check the Connections Bot, which works similarly to the Wordle Bot. It gives you a numeric score and analyzes your solving path. Players signed into the Times Games section can also track stats such as completed puzzles, win rate, perfect scores, and streaks.
Hints for Today’s Connections Groups
The original hints were ranked from the easiest yellow group to the toughest purple group. Here are those same hint directions, expanded a bit more for players who want guidance without immediately revealing the answers.
🟨 Yellow group hint: Right to the point.
This group is centered on words that describe speech or expression that is clear, open, and unembellished. Think about ways someone might talk when they are being honest without trying to soften the message. These are words associated with straightforwardness, plain speaking, and direct communication.
🟩 Green group hint: What you aim for.
This set revolves around something intended, pursued, or aimed at. The connection works both literally and figuratively, which is what makes the category slightly slippery. Think about words used for an objective, destination, focus, or desired outcome.
🟦 Blue group hint: Not chess.
That short hint is the key to the whole category. If you start thinking about board games and instinctively move toward chess, pause and shift sideways. These words belong to another classic strategy game, and they refer to important actions and piece states within that game.
🟪 Purple group hint: Carl Sandburg is one.
This is the most knowledge-based category on the board. The clue points you toward literature rather than everyday word meanings. Once you recognize the type of person Carl Sandburg was, the rest of the category starts to fall into place. This group is less about definitions and more about recognizing surnames connected by a shared field.
Categories
Yellow group: Direct
Green group: Target
Blue group: Checkers terms
Purple group: 20th century American poets
One-word anchors
- 🟨 Yellow: BLUNT
- 🟩 Green: GOAL
- 🟦 Blue: JUMP
- 🟪 Purple: FROST
Practice Mode
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
🟨 Yellow – Direct
BLUNT, FRANK, PLAIN, STRAIGHT
The yellow set is built around directness. All four words can describe speech, writing, or communication that gets right to the point. Blunt and frank suggest honesty without much filtering, while plain and straight reinforce clarity and lack of complication. This is the most accessible group on the board and likely the entry point for many solvers.
🟩 Green – Target
GOAL, MARK, OBJECT, POINT
These words all connect to the idea of something being aimed at. A goal is something pursued, a mark is something targeted, an object can mean purpose, and a point can indicate focus or destination. This group can be easy to second-guess because some of these words have very broad meanings outside this category.
🟦 Blue – Checkers Terms
CAPTURE, CROWN, JUMP, KING
The blue category is all about checkers terminology. You jump to capture an opponent’s piece, and when a piece reaches the far side, it can be crowned to become a king. The original hint “Not chess” is what keeps this group from being misread through the lens of another board game.
🟪 Purple – 20th Century American Poets
BISHOP, FROST, POUND, RICH
This purple group contains the surnames of major 20th-century American poets: Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost, Ezra Pound, and Adrienne Rich. This is the category the original article was nodding to with its “English majors” remark. The challenge lies in the fact that each word can also be read as a common word on its own, hiding the literary connection until late in the solve.
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