Issue #1079 Sat 14 Mar
Connections hints — March 14, 2026
Four groups arrive as a straightforward pair of synonym sets and two distinct wordplay categories. Watch the violet column, where four seemingly unrelated terms hide a common suffix.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
Cold air, a stuck-in-throat moment, the camera flash you were not ready for—three different snags, same body.
States of consciousness
Synonyms
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters D, H, S, T.
HYPNOTIC STATE
One is DREAM.
DREAM · HAZE · SPELL · TRANCE
green group 7 nudges
Green group
You take the same route home and a single door is open that is never open.
Linguistic prefixes
Each starts with a hidden item
Members are 6–8 letters; first letters B, D, T.
STARTING WITH PREFIXES MEANING "TWO"
One is BINARY.
BINARY · DIOXIDE · DUOLINGO · TWILIGHT
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
Something you would do to a pair of shoes before a job interview.
Pop culture icons
Examples of one named set
Members are 5–8 letters; first letters C, G, J, M.
FICTIONAL INSPECTORS
One is CLOUSEAU.
CLOUSEAU · GADGET · JAVERT · MORSE
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
Look at a rooster. Look closely.
Wordplay group
Each ends with a hidden item
Members are 6–10 letters; first letters H, L, M, N.
ENDING IN FEMALE ANIMALS
One is HOOTENANNY.
HOOTENANNY · LICHEN · MOSCOW · NIGHTMARE