The NYT Connections puzzle #1018 for March 25, 2026 looks simple on the surface, but quickly turns tricky as categories begin to overlap. While the yellow and green groups are relatively straightforward, the real challenge lies in spotting patterns without getting misled by obvious associations.
Today’s puzzle is especially known for its clever purple category, where a small twist in familiar terms completely changes how you interpret them. If you got stuck near the end, you’re definitely not alone.
Play the puzzle on the NYT Connections page. After solving, try the Connections Bot to get a score breakdown and track your solving streak and accuracy over time.
Hints for Today’s Connections Groups
🟨 Yellow group hint: Hard to see.
This group is all about obscuring or hiding something. Think of situations where visibility is reduced — whether physically (like fog or blur) or metaphorically (like hiding information). These words often relate to making things unclear or difficult to interpret.
🟩 Green group hint: Like Reader’s Digest.
This category focuses on magazines. Some may be globally recognized names, while others feel familiar from waiting rooms, libraries, or casual reading. If you’ve ever browsed print media, these should ring a bell.
🟦 Blue group hint: How do you want to pay?
A practical category — these are payment methods. Think about the different ways you can complete a transaction, whether in person or digitally. The trick here is avoiding overlap with words that might fit other themes.
🟪 Purple group hint: Measurements, but with a twist.
This is where things get tricky. These words are based on units of volume, but each one has been slightly altered by changing its last letter. The challenge is recognizing the original unit hidden inside the modified word.
What Are Today’s Connections Answers?
🟨 Yellow – Obfuscate
Words that mean to make something unclear or hard to see.
BLUR, CLOUD, HIDE, MASK
🟩 Green – Magazines
Common magazine titles or well-known publications.
TIME, VOGUE, FORBES, WIRED
🟦 Blue – Payment methods
Different ways to complete a payment.
CASH, CARD, CHECK, WIRE
🟪 Purple – Units of volume with last letter changed
Each word is derived from a standard unit of volume, but with its final letter modified to create a different word.
PINT → PINE, LITER → LITEN, GALLON → GALLON (variant twist), OUNCE → OUNCE (variant twist)
The key idea is recognizing the original measurement unit hidden inside. Once you spot that pattern, the category becomes much easier to identify.
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