Today’s New York Times word games puzzle is #1027, and it’s built around the theme of control — specifically the kind you exercise over your temper, your cravings, and your cocktail order. If you’ve been staring at the board wondering how CRUISE fits with DAMAGE, or why JONES ended up next to LUST, this guide has you covered. Read through the hints first, then scroll for the full answers.
What Is NYT Connections?
Connections is a daily word puzzle from the New York Times in which players must sort 16 words into four groups of four. Each group shares a hidden common thread — it could be things that follow a word, precede a word, belong to a category, or share some other relationship. The game was developed with associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu and has grown into one of the most-played games in the NYT Games suite.
The four groups are color-coded by difficulty: yellow is the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. You can shuffle the board to spot patterns more easily, and you can share your results on social media after completing the puzzle.
How to Play
- Select four words you believe share a common connection and tap “Submit.”
- If correct, the group is removed from the board in its color.
- A wrong guess counts as a mistake — you get four mistakes total before the game ends.
- Words can be deceptively versatile; one word may seem to fit multiple groups, so think carefully before submitting.
Category Hints for April 3, 2026
Not ready for the answers yet? Here are vague hints for each color group:
🟨 Yellow: Think small-minded or sharp-tongued. These words describe someone being unpleasant in a petty way.
🟩 Green: These words describe a deep desire or yearning for something. You might use one of them to say you really, really want something.
🟦 Blue: These are all things you might ask a bartender for — specifically the vessel your drink arrives in.
🟪 Purple: Each of these words can precede a specific two-syllable word to complete a familiar phrase about keeping something in check.
Category Names for April 3, 2026
Getting closer? Here are the actual category names — still no words revealed:
🟨 CATTY
🟩 HANKER (FOR)
🟦 COCKTAIL GLASSES
🟪 ___ CONTROL
Full Answers for Connections #1027
Here are all four groups with every word:
🟨 CATTY: MEAN, PETTY, SMALL, SNIDE
🟩 HANKER (FOR): JONES, LONG, LUST, THIRST
🟦 COCKTAIL GLASSES: COLLINS, HURRICANE, ROCKS, ZOMBIE
🟪 ___ CONTROL: CRUISE, DAMAGE, GROUND, MISSION
What Made Today’s Puzzle Tricky
The yellow group — CATTY — was likely the most approachable, but SMALL might have given some players pause. On its own, SMALL doesn’t read as an insult, yet “small” in the sense of petty or mean-spirited is a legitimate usage (“That was a small thing to do”), and the puzzle leans into that.
The green group HANKER (FOR) had the most misdirection potential. JONES, LONG, LUST, and THIRST all look like they could belong to completely different categories. JONES could easily be read as a surname, and LONG might appear in a time-related group. LUST and THIRST could plausibly end up in a “sins” or “hunger” category. Recognizing that all four mean “to crave or yearn for” was the real unlock here.
The blue group COCKTAIL GLASSES was satisfying for anyone with bar knowledge: a COLLINS glass is a tall, straight-sided glass; a HURRICANE glass has a curvaceous shape named for its silhouette; a ROCKS glass (also called an old-fashioned glass) is short and wide; and a ZOMBIE glass is a tall, narrow variant. Anyone who got that one first had a smooth solve ahead.
The purple group ___ CONTROL is where the puzzle’s theme crystallizes. CRUISE CONTROL, DAMAGE CONTROL, GROUND CONTROL, and MISSION CONTROL are all fixed compound phrases — and the hint “not too difficult if you’re a control freak” in today’s puzzle description was a genuine clue hiding in plain sight.
Tips for Today’s Puzzle
- Start with COCKTAIL GLASSES. If you know your barware, COLLINS, HURRICANE, ROCKS, and ZOMBIE are a confident opener that clears four words immediately.
- Don’t let JONES fool you. It’s tempting to see it as a name or a cultural reference, but in verb form “to jones for something” means to crave it — same as LONG, LUST, and THIRST.
- SMALL belongs with MEAN, PETTY, and SNIDE. Think of it as an adjective meaning “ungenerous in spirit,” not as a size descriptor.
- For the purple group, test the phrase “___ CONTROL” with each remaining word. CRUISE, DAMAGE, GROUND, and MISSION all complete a well-known compound — this is a reliable trick for the hardest group.
More Daily Puzzle Answers
Looking for more puzzle help? Check out these recent Connections guides:
- April 1, 2026 NYT Connections Puzzle #1025 Hints and Answers
- March 30, 2026 NYT Connections Puzzle #1023 Hints and Answers
- March 29, 2026 NYT Connections Puzzle #1022 Hints and Answers
Playing other games today? We also have:
- April 1, 2026 Wordle #1747 Hint and Answer
- April 1, 2026 NYT Mini Crossword Hints and Answers
- “Don’t Make a Peep” — April 1, 2026 NYT Strands Hints and Answers
Shahid Maqsood is a digital entrepreneur and SEO specialist focused on building engaging web experiences. He is the creator of DotWordle, combining creativity with smart, user-friendly design.
