Look, let's be real. Wyna Liu and the team at the New York Times Games desk really woke up and chose chaos for the April 4 puzzle. You've probably been staring at the screen for ten minutes, wondering how on earth SCRAMBLE and AXE are supposed to exist in the same universe, let alone the same 16-word grid. It’s okay. We’ve all been there.
Connections is that rare kind of frustration that feels like a personal insult until you finally click the right four words. Then, suddenly, you're a genius. But today? Today is a bit of a minefield.
The trick with the NYT Connections hints April 4 set is that the editors are leaning heavily into "double meanings." You see a word and your brain immediately goes to one place—like a kitchen or a tool shed—but the game wants you to look at the vibe or the phrase instead.
Hints That Won't Give It All Away
Before we drop the full answers, maybe you just need a nudge. Kinda like when you're looking for your keys and someone says "you're getting warmer."
- Yellow Category: Think about the last time you went out for Sunday brunch. This is arguably the most straightforward group, provided you haven't overthought the word "fry."
- Green Category: This is all about that "main character" feeling. That rush of blood to the head.
- Blue Category: If you've ever spent a Saturday afternoon at a dive bar or a Renaissance fair, you'll recognize these. They are all things you physically hurl at a target.
- Purple Category: This is the classic "blank word" setup. If you put a specific five-letter word after each of these, they suddenly make sense. Think about packaging or maybe... spa treatments?
Honestly, the blue group is the one that trips most people up today. RING is such a generic word that it could go anywhere. Is it jewelry? Is it a phone sound? Nope. In this specific puzzle, it's something you toss.
Why Today’s Grid is So Tricky
The overlap is brutal. Take a look at FRY. You see that and you might think of Futurama, or maybe small fish. Then you see POACH and you're definitely thinking of fish or maybe illegal hunting. But wait, SCRAMBLE is right there.
This is the "Red Herring" effect the NYT loves. They want you to group words by one definition while the actual connection uses another.
The Breakdowns
Ways to Prepare Eggs (Yellow)
You’ve got BOIL, FRY, POACH, and SCRAMBLE. This is the "easy" one, but only if you don't get distracted by "fry" being a potential verb for something else. It's the most literal category in the bunch.
Exhilaration (Green)
This group includes BUZZ, KICK, RUSH, and THRILL. These are all nouns describing a feeling of excitement. If you’ve ever had too much espresso, you know exactly what a "buzz" feels like. It’s that internal spark.
Thrown in Target Games (Blue)
This is where it gets tough. The words are AXE, DART, HORSESHOE, and RING. At first glance, an axe and a dart don't seem related. But in the context of "bar sports" or "lawn games," they are identical. You’re aiming for a bullseye or a stake.
____ Wrap (Purple)
The "dreaded" purple. Today it’s BODY, BUBBLE, GIFT, and SHRINK.
- Body wrap (spa stuff)
- Bubble wrap (popping satisfaction)
- Gift wrap (birthday vibes)
- Shrink wrap (industrial packaging)
The NYT Connections Hints April 4 Strategy
If you're still struggling or just want to get better for tomorrow, stop clicking immediately. Seriously. The biggest mistake people make is burning through their four lives because they are "one away."
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When the game tells you you're "one away," it’s a trap. It means you’ve found a solid trio, but the fourth word you chose belongs somewhere else. Instead of swapping out one word at a time, clear your selection. Look at the remaining words and see if any of them also fit that theme.
If you have five words that could fit "Ways to Prepare Eggs," don't guess. Move to a different category. Once you solve the "Exhilaration" group, you might find that one of your egg words actually belonged there.
The Power of the Shuffle
Basically, your brain gets stuck on the visual placement of the words. The NYT intentionally places words like POACH and BOIL far apart to stop you from seeing the link. Hit that shuffle button until the words literally land next to each other. It sounds silly, but it works.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
- Thinking too small: Don't just look for synonyms. Look for "blank " or " blank" connections.
- Ignoring the "vibe": Sometimes the connection is just a feeling, like the "Exhilaration" category today.
- Wasting guesses on "almosts": If you aren't 100% sure about all four, don't hit submit.
Final Solution for April 4
If you've reached the point of no return and just want the answers to keep your streak alive, here they are. No judgment.
- Yellow (Easy): BOIL, FRY, POACH, SCRAMBLE (Ways to Prepare Eggs)
- Green (Medium): BUZZ, KICK, RUSH, THRILL (Exhilaration)
- Blue (Hard): AXE, DART, HORSESHOE, RING (Thrown in Target Games)
- Purple (Tricky): BODY, BUBBLE, GIFT, SHRINK (____ Wrap)
The most interesting thing about today's puzzle is how it utilizes common nouns as verbs. POACH and SKINK (well, SHRINK) are heavy hitters here. It’s a classic Wyna Liu move to take a word that feels like a heavy action and turn it into a part of a compound noun.
If you managed to get the purple group first, you’re basically a pro. Most people stumble into purple by accident after clearing the other three, which is a perfectly valid way to win, by the way.
Now that you've cleared the April 4 hurdle, take a second to look at the words again. Notice how RING and HORSESHOE almost formed a "jewelry" or "metal objects" group? That's the beauty—and the irritation—of Connections.
To get better at spotting these, try saying the words out loud with a prefix. If you find yourself saying "Bubble... Body... Gift..." you'll start to hear the "Wrap" connection before you even see it. It's a linguistic trick that bypasses the visual distractions of the grid.
Keep that streak going. Tomorrow’s puzzle will likely be just as devious, so keep your eyes peeled for those "blank" phrases.