NYT Connections hints and answers for March 28 point to the historical puzzle identified in the dated discussion as #291: EXITED; ONE FLYING AN AIRPLANE; KINDS OF WHALES; and THINGS WITH SLOTS. The same word set appears as #292 in one archive, so the numbering discrepancy is noted below.
This archived puzzle is not “today’s” Connections game. The requested date is March 28, 2024, and the discussion attached to that date calls it #291. If you are solving without spoilers, stop after the sixteen-word grid and use the hints before opening the complete category reveals.
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Key takeaways
- The dated March 28, 2024 discussion identifies this historical puzzle as Connections #291, although one answer archive labels the same word set #292.
- The four groups are EXITED; ONE FLYING AN AIRPLANE; KINDS OF WHALES; and THINGS WITH SLOTS.
- PILOT belongs with ACE, AVIATOR, and FLIER, not with the whale words.
- The whale group is BLUE, FIN, GRAY, and RIGHT.
- SPATULA is the controversial final answer because the category refers to a slotted cooking turner, not every kind of spatula.
Spoiler warning: The hints below become progressively more revealing, followed by the category names and complete answers.
What are the sixteen words in Connections #291?
The March 28, 2024 grid contains these sixteen words, shown without their groups:
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DEPARTED, LEFT, SPLIT, WENT, ACE, AVIATOR, FLIER, PILOT, BLUE, FIN, GRAY, RIGHT, ATM, CASINO, SCHEDULE, SPATULA.
The date and puzzle number require a small historical clarification. The dated March 28, 2024 discussion is titled Connections #291, while the YourDictionary WordFinder archive labels the same word set March 28, 2024, #292. This guide follows #291 because the dated discussion is the source of the requested identification.
What are the hints for NYT Connections #291?
Use the hints in order if you want help without immediately seeing the complete solution.
Rank #2
| Color | Hint | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Think of words meaning “exited.” | Four ways to express leaving or going away. |
| Green | Someone who flies an airplane. | People associated with flying an aircraft. |
| Blue | Four types of whales. | Whale names, including two less familiar varieties. |
| Purple | Things that can have slots. | Objects or systems with openings, positions, or compartments. |
What are the Connections #291 groups and answers?
The complete answers are listed below in the puzzle’s yellow-to-purple order.
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|---|---|---|---|
| Yellow | EXITED | DEPARTED, LEFT, SPLIT, WENT | Each word can express leaving or exiting. |
| Green | ONE FLYING AN AIRPLANE | ACE, AVIATOR, FLIER, PILOT | Each word can describe a person who flies an airplane. |
| Blue | KINDS OF WHALES | BLUE, FIN, GRAY, RIGHT | Blue whale, fin whale, gray whale, and right whale are whale types. |
| Purple | THINGS WITH SLOTS | ATM, CASINO, SCHEDULE, SPATULA | ATMs, casino machines, schedules, and some spatulas can have slots. |
Why are DEPARTED, LEFT, SPLIT, and WENT grouped together?
DEPARTED, LEFT, SPLIT, and WENT are the yellow group, EXITED. Each is a past-tense or past-participial way to say that someone or something left. This is the cleanest group to remove first because the words share a direct meaning rather than depending on a specialized compound phrase.
Why are ACE, AVIATOR, FLIER, and PILOT grouped together?
ACE, AVIATOR, FLIER, and PILOT form the green group, ONE FLYING AN AIRPLANE. The category uses a broad description: an ace can be an exceptionally skilled pilot, while an aviator, flier, or pilot can be a person who flies an airplane.
PILOT is the important red herring. “Pilot whale” is a familiar phrase, so PILOT appears to belong with the whale answers. The dated solver discussion identifies PILOT as the tempting whale-related decoy, but the puzzle places PILOT with the aviation terms.
What is the whale category in Connections #291?
The blue category is KINDS OF WHALES: BLUE, FIN, GRAY, and RIGHT. The full phrases are blue whale, fin whale, gray whale, and right whale.
FIN and RIGHT are the less immediately familiar entries. A fin whale is a whale species, and a right whale is another recognized whale type. The contemporaneous puzzle discussion confirms the whale grouping and the PILOT misdirection.
Why is SPATULA in the slots group?
ATM, CASINO, SCHEDULE, and SPATULA make up the purple category, THINGS WITH SLOTS. An ATM has a slot for inserting a card, a casino has slot machines, and a schedule can contain time slots. SPATULA refers specifically to a slotted cooking turner with openings in its blade.
The clue is a stretch because “spatula” can also mean a solid rubber or silicone scraper. The answer does not mean that every spatula has slots; it depends on the particular slotted-turner design. The March 28 discussion records repeated solver objections about that narrower meaning.
What are the biggest red herrings in this puzzle?
The board suggests a possible film connection: The Departed, The Aviator, and Casino are all associated with Martin Scorsese. That apparent film grouping is not one of the four answers. The dated discussion documents the Scorsese-film idea as misdirection.
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The stronger word-level trap is PILOT. Once BLUE and GRAY suggest whales, PILOT can look like the missing fifth whale-related word. The correct move is to keep PILOT with ACE, AVIATOR, and FLIER, then use FIN and RIGHT to complete the whale group.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How can you solve the last eight words?
- Remove the obvious EXITED group: DEPARTED, LEFT, SPLIT, WENT.
- Look for aviation vocabulary: ACE, AVIATOR, FLIER, PILOT.
- Resist moving PILOT into the whale group simply because “pilot whale” is familiar.
- Pair BLUE and GRAY with FIN and RIGHT to form the four whale types.
- Use the remaining words—ATM, CASINO, SCHEDULE, SPATULA—as examples of things that can have slots.
The final category is best read as “things that can have slots,” rather than “things that always have slots.” That wording explains both the schedule connection and the specialized slotted-spatula reference.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Connections #291 sometimes listed as #292?
The dated March 28, 2024 discussion identifies the puzzle as Connections #291, but the YourDictionary WordFinder archive labels the same word set March 28, 2024, #292. This guide uses #291 because the dated discussion is the basis for the requested puzzle number.
Why is spatula in the slots group?
SPATULA refers to a slotted cooking turner, a utensil with openings in its blade. The category does not claim that every spatula has slots; solid rubber and silicone spatulas do not fit that interpretation.
Is PILOT a whale answer in Connections #291?
PILOT belongs to the aviation group with ACE, AVIATOR, and FLIER. “Pilot whale” is the deliberate red herring, while the whale group is BLUE, FIN, GRAY, and RIGHT.
The Bottom Line
The March 28, 2024 Connections puzzle identified as #291 has these groups: EXITED—DEPARTED, LEFT, SPLIT, WENT; ONE FLYING AN AIRPLANE—ACE, AVIATOR, FLIER, PILOT; KINDS OF WHALES—BLUE, FIN, GRAY, RIGHT; and THINGS WITH SLOTS—ATM, CASINO, SCHEDULE, SPATULA. One archive calls the same set #292, and SPATULA means a slotted turner rather than every spatula.
Quick Recap
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