What is the NYT Connections answer for April 16 (#1040)?

The four groups are TEASE (NEEDLE, RIB, RIDE, ROAST); THERMOSTAT SETTINGS (AUTO, COOL, FAN, HEAT); FEATURES OF A CATWOMAN COSTUME (BODYSUIT, CLAWS, MASK, WHIP); TRAINING ___ (BRA, CAMP, DAY, WHEELS).

Which Connections group is hardest today?

The purple group — "TRAINING ___" — 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.

Thursday, April 16, 2026#1040

NYT Connections Hints & Answer — Thursday, April 16

DailyWordHints Editorial April 16

TEASE

Easiest

THERMOSTAT SETTINGS

Easy

FEATURES OF A CATWOMAN COSTUME

Tricky

TRAINING ___

Hardest

Today's NYT Connections groups are TEASE (yellow), THERMOSTAT SETTINGS (green), FEATURES OF A CATWOMAN COSTUME (blue), TRAINING ___ (purple).

COOL

WHIP

MASK

RIDE

NEEDLE

CAMP

FAN

WHEELS

AUTO

BODYSUIT

HEAT

ROAST

DAY

CLAWS

BRA

RIB

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 #1040, Thursday, April 16. 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 April 16 (#1040)?: The four groups are TEASE (NEEDLE, RIB, RIDE, ROAST); THERMOSTAT SETTINGS (AUTO, COOL, FAN, HEAT); FEATURES OF A CATWOMAN COSTUME (BODYSUIT, CLAWS, MASK, WHIP); TRAINING ___ (BRA, CAMP, DAY, WHEELS).
Which Connections group is hardest today?: The purple group — "TRAINING ___" — 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.