Connections Hints

Monday, March 9, 2026

Words from the NYT Connections puzzle — March 9, 2026

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Show the word gridAll 16 words — you figure out the groups
Show the themesCategory names only, no words revealed
One word per groupTheme name + one word per category
Full solutionAll words and explanations
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Word grid

All 16 words, sorted alphabetically. Group them into four categories of four.

ANIMAL
BEAKER
COMPANY
E STREET BAND
FISHBOWL
FOZZIE
GONZO
HOT SEAT
MAFIA
MICROSCOPE
SPOTLIGHT
VIDEO GAME
WAREHOUSE
WEARABLE
WEREWOLF
WHEREFORE
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Themes

The four category names, easiest to hardest. No words revealed yet.

STARTING WITH THE SAME SOUND, SPELLED DIFFERENTLYStraightforward
METAPHORS FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINYModerate
MUPPETSTricky
THEY FEATURE A BOSSDevious
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One word per group

Theme name plus one word from each category.

STARTING WITH THE SAME SOUND, SPELLED DIFFERENTLYStraightforward
THESE FOUR WORDS ALL SOUND LIKE THEY BEGIN WITH 'WEAR' BUT ARE SPELLED DIFFERENTLY+ 3 more…
METAPHORS FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINYModerate
THESE ARE ALL EXPRESSIONS FOR BEING WATCHED OR JUDGED BY OTHERS+ 3 more…
MUPPETSTricky
THESE ARE ALL CHARACTERS FROM THE MUPPETS+ 3 more…
THEY FEATURE A BOSSDevious
EACH OF THESE THINGS IS ASSOCIATED WITH A 'BOSS'+ 3 more…
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Full solution
STARTING WITH THE SAME SOUND, SPELLED DIFFERENTLYStraightforward
WAREHOUSE,WEARABLE,WEREWOLF,WHEREFORE

WAREHOUSE, WEARABLE, WEREWOLF, and WHEREFORE all begin with the same 'wer/wear/where/ware' sound despite having different spellings — a set of homophones at the start

METAPHORS FOR PUBLIC SCRUTINYModerate
FISHBOWL,HOT SEAT,MICROSCOPE,SPOTLIGHT

FISHBOWL, HOT SEAT, MICROSCOPE, and SPOTLIGHT are all metaphors used to describe being under public scrutiny or intense observation

MUPPETSTricky
ANIMAL,BEAKER,FOZZIE,GONZO

ANIMAL, BEAKER, FOZZIE, and GONZO are all beloved Muppet characters from Jim Henson's franchise

THEY FEATURE A BOSSDevious
COMPANY,E STREET BAND,MAFIA,VIDEO GAME

COMPANY (has a boss as CEO), E STREET BAND (Bruce Springsteen is 'The Boss'), MAFIA (the boss is the crime lord), and VIDEO GAME (boss fights are a staple mechanic) — all feature a 'Boss'

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