NYT Connections Answers for March 23rd, 2026 Puzzle #1016 Revealed

Hints and solutions for the daily crossword-style game from The New York Times

Mar. 22, 2026 at 9:49pm

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The New York Times' daily puzzle game 'Connections' released its puzzle #1016 on March 23rd, 2026. This article provides the answers to the puzzle, as well as helpful hints to guide players through the challenge of sorting 16 words into 4 groups of 4 that share a common theme.

Why it matters

The NYT Connections puzzle is a popular daily brain teaser for the newspaper's readers, testing their ability to find connections between seemingly unrelated words. Providing the solutions helps players who are stuck, while the hints offer an engaging way for readers to work through the puzzle themselves.

The details

The Connections puzzle requires players to sort 16 words into 4 groups of 4, with each group sharing a common theme. The words for puzzle #1016 on March 23rd, 2026 were: JUNGLE GYM, STAND-UP, LIGHT BULB, BROCCOLI RABE, OLIVE OIL, WHEEL, OPEN MIC, MARY, BRAIN STEW, MOCKTAIL, PRINTING PRESS, HONEST, MORAL, SLICED BREAD, DECENT, VIRGO. The article includes several hints to guide players, such as revealing that one group is 'PRINCIPLED' and that MARY and MOCKTAIL are in the same group. The full solutions are then provided.

  • The NYT Connections puzzle #1016 was released on March 23rd, 2026.

The players

The New York Times

A major American newspaper that publishes a variety of puzzle games, including the daily Connections crossword-style challenge.

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What’s next

The New York Times will release a new Connections puzzle for readers to solve on March 24th, 2026.

The takeaway

The NYT Connections puzzle provides a fun daily challenge for readers to exercise their problem-solving skills. By offering both hints and full solutions, this article helps players of all skill levels engage with and enjoy the puzzle.