NYT Connections #1037, released on April 13, 2026, challenges players to group 16 words into four categories of four words each, with each group sharing a common thread. The puzzle resets at midnight local time, and you have up to four mistakes before losing. If you are stuck, here are the hints and full answers to help you finish strong.
Key Takeaways
- NYT Connections #1037 includes a theater-themed category with four words seen outside cinemas
- One group features items magicians use, including a rabbit and cape
- TV show title surnames form a distinct category with characters from famous series
- The trickiest group connects four items that all have caps
- The puzzle allows four mistakes before game over; resets daily at midnight
What Is NYT Connections?
NYT Connections is a free daily puzzle game from the New York Times where players identify four groups of four related words from a grid of 16 words. The challenge is not just finding words that fit a category—it is discovering the hidden connection that links them. Some categories are straightforward; others require lateral thinking. The game awards points based on how quickly you solve each group, with the easiest category worth the fewest points and the hardest worth the most.
Each puzzle resets at midnight in your local time zone, so you get a fresh challenge every day. The game launched in beta in June 2024 and has since become one of the New York Times’ most popular daily offerings, sitting alongside Wordle, Spelling Bee, and the classic Crossword.
NYT Connections #1037 Hints
Before jumping to the answers, here are hints for each category to help you solve the puzzle yourself. Start with the easiest group and work toward the trickiest. The first group is usually the most obvious, while the fourth often requires creative thinking.
Hint 1: These words describe things you see outside a theater before entering. Think about the physical setup and barriers in a cinema lobby.
Hint 2: A magician’s toolkit. These are classic props and accessories used in magic tricks and stage illusions.
Hint 3: Last names of characters from popular television shows. These surnames belong to the main characters of well-known series.
Hint 4: This is the trickiest group. All four words have caps—but not in the traditional sense. One is a baseball player, one is a camera lens, one is a mushroom, and one is a writing instrument.
NYT Connections #1037 Full Answers
Ready for the solutions? Here are all four categories and their answers.
Category 1 — Seen Outside a Theater: BOX OFFICE, MARQUEE, TICKET LINE, VELVET ROPE. These are all features or barriers you encounter in a cinema lobby or theater entrance. The box office is where you buy tickets, the marquee displays what is playing, the ticket line is where you wait, and the velvet rope controls crowd flow.
Category 2 — Accessories for a Magician: CAPE, HANDKERCHIEF, MAGIC WAND, RABBIT. Every magician needs these classic props. The cape is the iconic costume piece, the handkerchief is used in sleight-of-hand tricks, the magic wand is the signature tool, and the rabbit is the famous assistant pulled from a hat.
Category 3 — TV Show Title Surnames: HOUSE, LASSO, MONTANA, SOPRANO. These are last names of lead characters from major television series. House is from the medical drama, Lasso is from the sports comedy, Montana is from the crime series, and Soprano is from the iconic HBO drama.
Category 4 — They Have Caps: BASEBALL PLAYER, CAMERA LENS, MUSHROOM, PEN. This is the wordplay category. A baseball player wears a cap, a camera lens has a cap, a mushroom has a cap (the umbrella-like top), and a pen has a cap. The connection is not obvious until you realize each word is something that literally has a cap.
How to Play NYT Connections
If you are new to the game, the strategy is simple but the execution is tricky. You have 16 words displayed in a grid. Your job is to tap or click on four words that share something in common, then hit submit. If you are correct, those four words disappear and you move to the next group. If you are wrong, you lose one of your four allowed mistakes.
Start by looking for the most obvious group. Usually, the first category is straightforward—words in the same semantic field or literal category. Move to the second group once the first is solved. The third and fourth groups often involve wordplay, puns, or abstract connections that require you to think differently about what links the words together. Do not rush. Take time to consider alternative meanings and connections before submitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time does NYT Connections #1037 reset?
The puzzle resets at midnight in your local time zone. Once you complete or lose the daily puzzle, you must wait until the next day to access a new one. There is one puzzle per day, every day.
Can I replay NYT Connections #1037?
No, you cannot replay the exact same puzzle once it resets. However, the New York Times maintains an archive of past puzzles dating back to the beta launch in June 2024. You can access and solve previous puzzles through the archive if you want to revisit earlier challenges or catch up on ones you missed.
Is NYT Connections free to play?
Yes, NYT Connections is completely free. You do not need a subscription to play the daily puzzle. It is one of the New York Times’ free daily games, available to all readers without a paywall.
NYT Connections #1037 is a solid mid-difficulty puzzle with one genuinely tricky category. The wordplay on the caps group separates casual players from those who think laterally about language. If you solved it without hints, you earned bragging rights. If you needed help, now you know the answers for tomorrow’s streak.
Where to Buy
21 Amazon customer reviews | $4.99 | $9.99 | $12.99
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: TechRadar
