What is the NYT Connections answer for March 31 (#1024)?

The four groups are SHORTAGE (ABSENCE, CRUNCH, DEFICIT, PINCH); PARTS OF A PIRATE SHIP (CANNON, CROW'S NEST, JOLLY ROGER, PLANK); KINDS OF BRAS (PLUNGE, PUSH-UP, SPORTS, WIRELESS); STARTING WITH BABY ANIMALS (CALF RAISE, CHICK FLICK, FRY COOK, KIT KAT).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "STARTING WITH BABY ANIMALS" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.

What do the Connections colors mean?

Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.

Tuesday, March 31, 2026#1024

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Tuesday, March 31

DailyWordHints Editorial March 31

SHORTAGE

Easiest

PARTS OF A PIRATE SHIP

Easy

KINDS OF BRAS

Tricky

STARTING WITH BABY ANIMALS

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are SHORTAGE (yellow), PARTS OF A PIRATE SHIP (green), KINDS OF BRAS (blue), STARTING WITH BABY ANIMALS (purple).

WIRELESS

PLANK

KIT KAT

CRUNCH

PUSH-UP

SPORTS

CHICK FLICK

CANNON

CALF RAISE

CROW'S NEST

PINCH

PLUNGE

JOLLY ROGER

ABSENCE

FRY COOK

DEFICIT

Hints by group

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

Full answers below

Today’s answers

yellowEasiest

greenEasy

blueTricky

purpleHardest

See all past Connections puzzles →

Today's Connections hints (no answers yet)

Here are spoiler-free nudges for NYT Connections #1024, Tuesday, March 31. Reveal one color at a time and work from the easiest group (yellow) to the trickiest (purple).

How to use these hints

Each clue is written so it never names any of the sixteen words — it just points you in the right direction. Open the full answer only once you're truly stuck.

Strategy for solving today's grid

Lock in the group you're most confident about first to shrink the board, but resist the obvious four-of-a-kind — the puzzle almost always plants a word that fits two themes. Save the purple group for last; it usually hides the wordplay twist.

Frequently asked questions

What is the NYT Connections answer for March 31 (#1024)?: The four groups are SHORTAGE (ABSENCE, CRUNCH, DEFICIT, PINCH); PARTS OF A PIRATE SHIP (CANNON, CROW'S NEST, JOLLY ROGER, PLANK); KINDS OF BRAS (PLUNGE, PUSH-UP, SPORTS, WIRELESS); STARTING WITH BABY ANIMALS (CALF RAISE, CHICK FLICK, FRY COOK, KIT KAT).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "STARTING WITH BABY ANIMALS" — is the trickiest, as it usually relies on wordplay or a hidden connection rather than a straightforward category.
What do the Connections colors mean?: Yellow is the easiest group, then green, then blue, and purple is the hardest — often involving wordplay or a hidden twist.