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Spoilers below. These hints and answers are for Tuesday, March 10, 2026, NYT Connections puzzle #1003. Start with the clues if you are still solving; the complete groupings follow.
Hints for Connections #1003
Try the clues in order, from broadest to most direct:
- One group involves cooking without moisture.
- One group contains nicknames for relatives.
- One group consists of shortened U.S. state names.
- One group relates to throwing a punch.
For a gentler nudge, the four themes are close to being burnt, close family, shortened regions, and hitting with fists. These are editorial hints, not the puzzle’s category labels.
Answers for March 10
The sixteen words resolve into these four groups:
| Category | Words |
|---|---|
| Cook with dry heat | BROWN, ROAST, SEAR, TOAST |
| Familial nicknames | CUZ, GRAM, POP, UNC |
| U.S. state abbreviations | MASS, MISS, PENN, WASH |
| Punch | BOX, DUKE, SLUG, SOCK |
Why the state group can be easy to miss
MASS stands for Massachusetts, MISS for Mississippi, PENN for Pennsylvania, and WASH for Washington. BROWN, PENN, and DUKE may initially suggest universities, but that apparent connection leaves MISS out; the words instead separate into the four groups above.
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Elebase USB to USB C Adapter for iPhone 18 Pro Max,USBC Car Charger Adapter
- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
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Difficulty rating
PC Guide reports a New York Times difficulty rating of 2.8 out of 5 for this puzzle. That figure is reported secondhand, rather than independently confirmed against the NYT game page.
How Connections works
Connections is a daily word-association puzzle: players sort sixteen words into four groups of four based on a shared theme. TechRadar reports that players can make up to four mistakes and play through NYT Games on desktop or mobile.
Quick Recap
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