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Spoiler warning: The complete solution to NYT Connections puzzle #1003, published Tuesday, March 10, 2026, appears below. If you are still solving, start with the category-level hints and stop before the answer table.
Hints for Connections #1003
Use these progressively more specific clues without revealing the words:
- A group involves cooking methods that use dry heat, such as an air fryer or convection oven.
- Another group contains shortened, casual names for relatives.
- Look for word beginnings that point to several U.S. states.
- The final group relates to what boxers do in the WBA or WBC.
Answers for March 10, 2026
| Color | Category | Words | Why they fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Cook with dry heat | BROWN, ROAST, SEAR, TOAST | Each can describe cooking food with dry heat. |
| Green | Familial nicknames | CUZ, GRAM, POP, UNC | They are informal forms of cousin, grandmother, father and uncle. |
| Blue | Beginnings of U.S. state names | MASS, MISS, PENN, WASH | They begin Massachusetts, Missouri, Pennsylvania and Washington, respectively. |
| Purple | Punch | BOX, DUKE, SLUG, SOCK | Each is a verb or noun associated with hitting or punching. |
How the tricky groups work
The blue state-name trap
The blue words look like partial names rather than conventional postal codes. Expand them as follows: MASSachusetts, MISSouri, PENNsylvania and WASHington. Seeing them as state-name beginnings prevents you from forcing them into another category.
The purple punching words
BOX is the most direct reference to fighting. DUKE, SLUG and SOCK can also describe a punch or the act of hitting, which makes the category less uniform at first glance.
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CUZ means cousin; GRAM is a grandmother; POP is a father; and UNC is an uncle. Their abbreviated, conversational style is the link.
The university red herring
Several tiles appear to point toward colleges: BROWN (Brown University), MASS (UMass), WASH (Washington University in St. Louis, often called WashU), UNC, MISS (the University of Mississippi), PENN (Penn State) and DUKE (Duke University). That apparent college theme is deliberate misdirection. The official solution separates those words among cooking, family nicknames, state-name beginnings and punching.
Rank #2
Difficulty
WePC reports a New York Times difficulty rating of 2.8 out of 5 for 2026 puzzle #1003 and describes it as relatively easy overall, although the deceptive individual groups can still cause mistakes.
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