NYT Connections #1036
Hints, category titles, and full answers for Sunday, April 12, 2026
Connections Hint #1036 — April 12, 2026
Connections Walkthrough — April 12, 2026
A breakdown of every category from the April 12, 2026 puzzle, the trap words designed to fool players, and what made it tricky.
Group-by-group breakdown (easiest to hardest)
- PANTS FEATURES
You can spot the clothing set by grouping BELT LOOP, CUFF, FLY, and POCKET.
- ___ DOLL
PAPER, RAG, RUSSIAN, and TROLL all form familiar phrases when placed before DOLL.
- PERSPECTIVE
ANGLE, POSITION, STANCE, and TAKE all describe someone's way of seeing or arguing something.
- EMIT
CAST, PROJECT, RADIATE, and SHED are all verbs for sending something outward.
The trap words that fool most players
Words placed in this puzzle to make one category look like another.
- CASTlooks like · PERSPECTIVEactually · EMIT
You might think of a cast of mind, but here it pairs with light or shadow.
- PROJECTlooks like · PERSPECTIVEactually · EMIT
You can project an opinion, but this group uses the outward-sending sense.
About this puzzle
This is the complete solution to NYT Connections puzzle #1036, originally published on Sunday, April 12, 2026. The four categories ranged from PANTS FEATURES (the easiest, yellow group) through ___ DOLL (the trickiest, purple group, which usually involves wordplay or hidden patterns).
You can browse our complete Connections archive for every past puzzle since the game launched in June 2023, or jump to today's puzzle for the latest hints.