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NYT Connections hints and answers for Thursday, March 12 (game #1005)

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My clues will help you solve the NYT's Connections puzzle today and keep that streak going

NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
(Image credit: New York Times)
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Looking for a different day?

A new NYT Connections puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Wednesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Connections hints and answers for Wednesday, March 11 (game #1004).

Good morning! Let's play Connections, the NYT's clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Connections today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.

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NYT Connections today (game #1005) - today's words

NYT Connections hints for game 1005 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

Today's NYT Connections words are…

  • CUCKOO CLOCK
  • SWING
  • STEP
  • SANDBOX
  • HOURGLASS
  • MEXICAN FLAG
  • METRONOME 
  • WEATHER VANE
  • WINDSHIELD WIPER
  • BUNKER
  • SPIN
  • PENDULUM
  • DESERT
  • REFORMER
  • FROOT LOOPS
  • BARRE

NYT Connections today (game #1005) - hint #1 - group hints

What are some clues for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: Granular containment
  • GREEN: Side to side movement
  • BLUE: Assisted gym activity
  • PURPLE: Feathered friends

Need more clues?

We're firmly in spoiler territory now, but read on if you want to know what the four theme answers are for today's NYT Connections puzzles…

NYT Connections today (game #1005) - hint #2 - group answers

What are the answers for today's NYT Connections groups?

  • YELLOW: PLACES TO FIND SAND
  • GREEN: THINGS THAT MOVE BACK AND FORTH
  • BLUE: APPARATUS-BASED EXERCISE CLASSES
  • PURPLE: FEATURING BIRDS

Right, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.

NYT Connections today (game #1005) - the answers

NYT Connections answers for game 1005 on a purple background

(Image credit: New York Times)

The answers to today's Connections, game #1005, are…

  • YELLOW: PLACES TO FIND SAND BUNKER, DESERT, HOURGLASS, SANDBOX
  • GREEN: THINGS THAT MOVE BACK AND FORTH METRONOME, PENDULUM, SWING, WINDSHIELD WIPER
  • BLUE: APPARATUS-BASED EXERCISE CLASSES BARRE, REFORMER, SPIN, STEP
  • PURPLE: FEATURING BIRDS CUCKOO CLOCK, FROOT LOOPS, MEXICAN FLAG, WEATHER VANE
  • My rating: Easy
  • My score: Perfect

Kudos to anyone that got today’s hardest/purple category — a group that required knowledge of breakfast cereals, flags and instruments to measure wind direction. 

WEATHER VANE made it on to the  FEATURING BIRDS list because they invariably include a cockerel, but not always — they can also feature dolphins and dragons. The world’s largest weather vane has a ship perched on top.

Meanwhile, I hesitated over APPARATUS-BASED EXERCISE CLASSES. I knew SPIN, which requires a stationary bicycle, and STEP, which requires a stationary step, while REFORMER refers to various pieces of Pilates equipment resembling medieval torture devices. BARRE I had not heard of, though — I’ve since discovered it requires a bar.

Yesterday's NYT Connections answers (Wednesday, March 11, game #1004)

  • YELLOW: STEAL LIFT, PALM, PINCH, POCKET
  • GREEN: MAKE NICER, WITH "UP" DRESS, JAZZ, SPIFF, SPRUCE
  • BLUE: KINDS OF CONES ICE CREAM, PINE, SNOW, TRAFFIC
  • PURPLE: PRONOUN HOMOPHONES HEE, MI, OUI, YEW

What is NYT Connections?

NYT Connections is one of several increasingly popular word games made by the New York Times. It challenges you to find groups of four items that share something in common, and each group has a different difficulty level: green is easy, yellow a little harder, blue often quite tough and purple usually very difficult.

On the plus side, you don't technically need to solve the final one, as you'll be able to answer that one by a process of elimination. What's more, you can make up to four mistakes, which gives you a little bit of breathing room.

It's a little more involved than something like Wordle, however, and there are plenty of opportunities for the game to trip you up with tricks. For instance, watch out for homophones and other word games that could disguise the answers.

It's playable for free via the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.

Marc McLaren
Marc McLaren
Global Editor in Chief

Marc is TechRadar’s Global Editor in Chief, the latest in a long line of senior editorial roles he’s held in a career that started the week that Google launched (nice of them to mark the occasion). Prior to joining TR, he was UK Editor in Chief on Tom’s Guide, where he oversaw all gaming, streaming, audio, TV, entertainment, how-to and cameras coverage. He's also a former editor of the tech website Stuff and spent five years at the music magazine NME, where his duties mainly involved spoiling other people’s fun. He’s based in London, and has tested and written about phones, tablets, wearables, streaming boxes, smart home devices, Bluetooth speakers, headphones, games, TVs, cameras and pretty much every other type of gadget you can think of. An avid photographer, Marc likes nothing better than taking pictures of very small things (bugs, his daughters) or very big things (distant galaxies). He also enjoys live music, gaming, cycling, and beating Wordle (he authors the daily Wordle today page).

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