If you woke up this morning, grabbed your coffee, and opened the NYT Connections for March 2, only to feel like your brain was melting by the third click, you aren’t alone. Seriously. This one is a beast. We’re looking at Game #630, and it’s a Sunday, which usually means Wyna Liu and the team are in the mood to be particularly devious.
The grid looks innocent enough at first glance. You see words like RING and SHAKE and think, "Oh, maybe it’s hand movements?" Nope. That’s how they get you.
Sunday puzzles have a reputation for being the "Final Boss" of the week. Today’s board is heavy on the red herrings—those words that look like they belong in three different places but actually only fit in one specific, annoying spot. If you’re down to your last mistake and sweating, let’s walk through what’s actually happening on this board before you lose that 50-day streak.
The Strategy: Don't Click Yet
Before we dive into the answers, let’s talk about why you’re probably stuck. The March 2 puzzle relies heavily on abbreviations and compound words.
When you see a word like TUNGSTEN, your brain might go to "Chemistry" or "Metals." But look closer. Is there a GOLD? A SILVER? No. If a word feels like an outlier, it’s usually the key to a harder category (the Blue or Purple ones).
Hints for the March 2 Categories
If you want to solve it yourself but just need a nudge in the right direction, here are some cryptic clues:
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- Yellow: Think about what you do to your phone when you walk into a movie theater.
- Green: Various ways to make sure someone—or something—can't catch up to you.
- Blue: This one is all about a single letter. Specifically, the 23rd one.
- Purple: These words all love to hang out in front of a certain "cord-like" noun.
NYT Connections March 2: The Answers Explained
Okay, if you’re ready for the full reveal because TUNGSTEN and HAM are making no sense together, here is the breakdown of the groupings for today.
Yellow: Cellphone Modes
This was the "straightforward" group, though DO NOT DISTURB is a bit of a mouthful for a single tile.
- AIRPLANE
- DO NOT DISTURB
- RING
- VIBRATE
Green: Evade
Standard synonyms here. If you’ve ever played a game of tag or watched a spy movie, these should feel familiar.
- DODGE
- ESCAPE
- LOSE
- SHAKE (As in, "I can't shake this tail!")
Blue: What “W” Might Stand For
This is where the puzzle gets "Sunday Hard." You have to bridge the gap between physics, chemistry, and sports.
- TUNGSTEN (Symbol is W on the periodic table)
- WATT (Unit of power, abbreviated as W)
- WEST (Cardinal direction W)
- WIN (As in the W-L column in sports)
Purple: ___ String
The classic "fill in the blank." These are all words that precede "string" to make a common compound word or phrase.
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- DRAW (Drawstring)
- HAM (Hamstring—shoutout to everyone who thought this was about food)
- HEART (Heartstring)
- SHOE (Shoestring)
Why Today Was So Frustrating
The overlap in the NYT Connections March 2 puzzle is genuinely mean. You’ve got SHAKE and VIBRATE which both imply movement. You’ve got RING and SHOE, which both relate to things you wear.
Then there’s the WEST HAM trap. If you follow the English Premier League, seeing WEST and HAM right next to each other is a massive distraction. You start looking for other London football clubs (Arsenal? Spurs? No?). It’s a classic Wyna Liu move—using cultural proximity to lead you into a blind alley.
And let's talk about TUNGSTEN. Unless you remember high school chemistry or specifically know that it comes from "Wolfram," that "W" connection is a huge leap. Most people see Tungsten and immediately look for other elements. When they aren't there, the panic sets in.
How to Get Better at This
If this puzzle humbled you, the best thing you can do for tomorrow is to start looking for "categorical outliers" first.
Basically, if a word is super specific—like TUNGSTEN—don't try to find its friends. Instead, ask yourself: "What else could this represent?" Does it start with a certain letter? Is it a homophone?
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Also, always look for the "Blank ___" category before you commit to the synonyms. The "String" category today is a perfect example. HAM and HEART have almost nothing in common until you realize they both sit in front of the same word.
If you're still struggling with the daily puzzles, try playing the "Connections Bot" after you finish. It gives you a "skill" and "luck" rating. It sounds nerdy, but it actually helps you see where you’re falling for traps and where you're just getting lucky.
To wrap this up: keep an eye out for those single-letter abbreviations. They show up more often than you'd think, especially on weekends.
Pro tip for your next game: Before hitting submit on a group of four synonyms, look at the remaining 12 words. If one of those 12 also fits your category perfectly, you’ve found a red herring. Stop, pivot, and look for a more exclusive grouping.