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Need a nudge for the Monday, March 16, 2026 NYT Connections puzzle? Start with the spoiler-light category hints below, then open the clearly marked reveal for all 16 words and the four groups. This is puzzle #1009.
Hints for Connections #1009
Try to sort the words before revealing the category names. These nudges point toward each group without listing its answers:
- One group names collections of animals.
- One group includes things associated with moving or progressing slowly.
- One group contains words with a silent W.
- One group sounds like the names of U.S. state abbreviations when spoken aloud.
The puzzle has 16 words arranged into four groups. The fresh game appears at midnight in each time zone, according to TechRadar; depending on where you are, you may see the previous day’s puzzle instead.
Answers for March 16, 2026
Spoilers below: the category names and all four answer sets are revealed here.
#1 Best Overall
| Category | Answers |
|---|---|
| Animal group names | GAGGLE, PACK, POD, PRIDE |
| Things associated with being slow | GLACIER, MOLASSES, SLOTH, TRAFFIC |
| Silent “W” | CARTWRIGHT, TWO, WRATH, WRESTLE |
| Words that sound like state abbreviations | ANY, EMMY, ENVY, OKAY |
The 16 words in the puzzle
OKAY, SLOTH, ANY, TWO, WRATH, TRAFFIC, PRIDE, ENVY, CARTWRIGHT, MOLASSES, WRESTLE, PACK, POD, EMMY, GAGGLE, GLACIER.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Checking the answer set
TechRadar, Parade, and Wordcheats agree on the word list and solution shown above. A separate AllThings.How page for the same date and puzzle number gives a conflicting list and categories, so its answer set is not combined with the three agreeing accounts.
Quick Recap
Rank #2
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