The New York Times Games team has a bit of a reputation for being cheeky, but April 1st is when they usually decide to burn the whole house down. If you logged in today expecting a nice, relaxing word search, you probably stared at your screen for five minutes wondering if your phone was broken. It isn't. You’ve just been "Wyna Liu-ed."
The NYT Connections April 1 puzzle is notoriously the one day of the year where the rules of logic go out the window in favor of pure, unadulterated chaos. Honestly, it’s kinda impressive how much stress sixteen little squares can cause.
The April Fools Legend: Symbols, Emojis, and One-Letter Nightmares
To understand what’s happening today, you have to look at the history of this specific date. Last year, in 2024, the NYT replaced every single word with an emoji. People were trying to figure out if a sheep was a "lamb," a "ram," or a "ewe" (it was "ewe," part of a letter-homophone group). It was a mess. Fast forward to 2025, and they went even harder by using abstract symbols like currency signs and emoticon mouths.
Basically, the NYT Connections April 1 strategy isn't about vocabulary anymore. It’s about visual interpretation.
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Today's Brutal Categories (If You're Stuck)
If you're about to throw your device across the room, here is the breakdown of what those symbols actually mean. Don't feel bad about needing a hint. The solve rate for these holiday puzzles usually drops into the "statistically depressing" range.
- Yellow Group: Currency Symbols. This is usually the "gimme" group. Look for symbols like $, £, ¥, and €. It's straightforward, but when it’s surrounded by math symbols, your brain starts overcomplicating things.
- Green Group: The "And" Connections. This one uses &, +, N, and X. Think about it: "Fish & Chips," "Two + Two," "Rock 'N' Roll," and "Ariana Grande x Lady Gaga." They all just mean "and."
- Blue Group: Emoticon Mouths. This is the one that ruins lives. Look for (, ), O, and P. If you put a colon in front of them, you get a frown, a smile, a shocked face, and a tongue-out face.
- Purple Group: The "Right" Stuff. This is the most abstract. It includes the letter R, a right-pointing arrow (→), a right angle symbol (∟), and a checkmark (✓).
Why People Get This Wrong
The biggest trap in NYT Connections April 1 is the "math" overlap. You see a plus sign, an X, and a right angle symbol and immediately think: Geometry!
Nope.
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The editors at the Times know you’re going to do that. They intentionally place things like the "X" to make you think of multiplication, even though it belongs in the "together with" category. It’s a classic "red herring" on steroids. Another common mistake is thinking the letters N, X, O, and P are just an alphabetical sequence. They aren't. In the world of Connections, a letter is never just a letter.
The Technical Glitch Problem
One thing nobody talks about is that these symbol-heavy puzzles actually break some browsers. If you’re playing on an older laptop or a specific version of Firefox, some symbols might not even render. You’re left staring at blank boxes. If that’s you, try refreshing or switching to a mobile app. It’s hard enough to solve these when you can see the clues; solving them when they're invisible is a literal nightmare.
How to Beat a Prank Puzzle
You’ve got to change your mindset for the NYT Connections April 1 board. Stop looking for synonyms. Start looking for functions.
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- Read it out loud. If there’s a letter like "U" or "R," say the letter. Does it sound like a word?
- Look for symbols that do the same job. If you see an ampersand and a plus sign, they both mean "plus" or "and." Find the other two that fit that job description.
- Check for "visual" groups. Sometimes the connection is just "these things are all round" or "these are all characters you find on the number row of a keyboard."
- Wait for the Connections Bot. If you really want to feel bad about yourself, check the NYT's analysis bot after you finish. It’ll tell you exactly how much you struggled compared to the rest of the world.
These puzzles are designed to be frustrating. That's the point. It’s a prank. But there’s a certain satisfaction in beating the system when the system is actively trying to make you look like a fool.
If you managed to get through today without using all four of your mistakes, you’re basically a genius. Or you just got lucky. Either way, we’ll be back to regular words tomorrow—hopefully.
Your Next Step: Now that you’ve survived the symbols, head over to the NYT Wordle to see if they've messed with that too, or try the "Connections: Sports Edition" if you need a break from the abstract emoji madness.