Puzzle #998

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for Thursday, March 5, 2026

Puzzle #998 · Thursday, Mar 5, 2026

Stuck on Connections puzzle #998? Each group below starts with a gentle hint. Open a starter word, then the category, and only reveal the full answers when you are ready. Your progress is remembered on this device.

Nothing is revealed until you tap it.

Clues and hints for each group

Yellow group Straightforward

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter B.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: BOLT

Show the category

Bits of Hardware

Green group Moderate

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter P.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: INCUBATOR

Show the category

Places Where Ideas Are Developed

Blue group Tricky

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter G.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: ALTERNATE

Show the category

Go Back and Forth

Purple group Hardest

Hint: Four of the sixteen words share a link. The category name begins with the letter W.

Show one word from this group

One word that belongs here: BELOW

Show the category

What "Sub" Might Refer to

Full answers for puzzle #998

Reveal all four groups and their words

Bits of Hardware

BOLT NUT SCREW WASHER

Places Where Ideas Are Developed

INCUBATOR LAB SANDBOX TEST BED

Go Back and Forth

ALTERNATE SEESAW SWITCH TOGGLE

What "Sub" Might Refer to

BELOW HERO REPLACEMENT SUBMARINE

More Connections hints

Other Thursday puzzles

Questions people ask

How hard is NYT Connections puzzle #998?

Puzzle #998 from March 5, 2026 follows the usual pattern: yellow is the gentlest group and purple the trickiest.

How can I get a hint for the March 5, 2026 Connections puzzle without spoilers?

Every group on this page opens with a one-line hint. One word from the group and then the category name sit behind separate buttons, and the full answers stay hidden until you open them.

When does the new Connections puzzle come out?

A new puzzle goes live every day at midnight in your local time zone. We usually publish the next puzzle's hints the evening before, US time, so they are ready when your grid refreshes. See today's hints →

How many mistakes are you allowed in Connections?

You have four mistakes. The fourth wrong guess ends the game, so you can safely miss three times. If the game says you are "one away", three of your four words are correct.

Where can I find yesterday's Connections answers?

Open the Yesterday page for the previous puzzle, or search the archive by date, puzzle number, word or category. Yesterday's hints →