Connections 3x3 Answers: Hints & All Three Groups This Week

What Is Connections 3x3?

Connections 3x3 is a weekly mini version of NYT Connections. You get nine words instead of sixteen and sort them into three groups of three that share a hidden link. It is one of the NYT Bonus Puzzles, released every Wednesday since August 26, 2026, and edited by Wyna Liu.

The rules match the daily game: pick three words you think belong together and submit them. The difference is scale, and with nine words a single wrong assumption knocks out a third of the board.

Connections 3x3 arrives with Wordle in 1, a Strands variant and the Mystery Mini. See the whole week on our NYT Bonus Puzzles answers page, or play the 16-word version with today's Connections hints.

How Connections 3x3 Differs From Daily Connections

The search space is tiny. Nine words can be split into three groups of three in only 280 ways. The daily 16-word grid allows 2,627,625 splits, almost 10,000 times as many.

A blind guess is far likelier to land. There are 84 possible three-word picks from nine words, and three of them are right, so a random first try hits a group 1 time in 28. In the daily game a random four-word pick hits 1 time in 455.

The words themselves are short. The 108 cards in the first twelve sets averaged 5.3 letters, and only three had more than one word, all on October 14: FIGHT CLUB, THE GAME and COMES TO.

So the puzzle leans on misdirection. With so few combinations, the setter can't hide a group in noise. Instead, Connections 3x3 plants words that look like they belong together but don't.

The Connections 3x3 Group Types, From 36 Real Groups

We sorted all 36 groups from the first twelve Connections 3x3 sets (August 26 to November 11, 2026) by the kind of link they use. One result stands out.

Every set so far has had exactly one wordplay or lateral-thinking group, and NYT's data lists it third every time. The other two groups are straight definitions or members of a category. That's why our hints label the third group "Trickiest".

The first two groups have ranged from synonyms (FASTEN: BUTTON, SNAP, ZIP) to tight trivia sets (DAVID FINCHER MOVIES: FIGHT CLUB, SEVEN, THE GAME). Cards aren't always single words: the October 14 set used "=" and "COMES TO" for TOTALS.

Connections 3x3 Decoys: The Fake Groups in Past Sets

Most Connections 3x3 sets hide a decoy: three words that obviously go together, placed one in each real group. We went through every past set and found a fake trio in six of the first eleven weeks, plus a single misleading word in three more.

The single-word decoys are just as deliberate. GOLDFISH (September 30) is a fish, but it sat with the salty snacks. WHETHER (October 7) sounds like WEATHER, yet the homophone group was about plants. CAROUSEL (October 28) belongs in an airport, but that week it was a musical.

The lesson: when three words jump out as a group in the first five seconds, treat them as a warning, not an answer.

How to Use the Connections 3x3 Hints on This Page

Each group in the panel at the top has two hints and a reveal, so you can take exactly as much help as you need.

• Group order. Groups are listed in the order NYT stores them. Group 3 has been the wordplay group in every set so far, so it's labeled "Trickiest".
• Hint 1 gives one member. Knowing a single word in a group usually makes the other two obvious.
• Hint 2 masks the category. Only the first letter of each word in the category name is shown, so "E····· I· H·······" tells you the length and shape without giving it away.
• Reveal shows the group. The category name and its three words. "Show all three Connections 3x3 groups" at the bottom reveals the full solution at once.

Five Connections 3x3 Strategies That Work

1. Look for the fake trio first. As the decoy table above shows, three words that connect too neatly are often spread across all three groups. Check any obvious trio against the other six words before you submit.
2. Find the wordplay group by testing letters. Read every word for a hidden animal, a missing ending or a sound-alike. HORSESHOE hides HORSE; SARDI is SARDINE without its last two letters.
3. Try each word in front of and behind common words. Fill-in-the-blank groups such as BOARD ___ or ____ OFFICE only appear when you add a word.
4. Watch the double meanings. CAROUSEL looks like part of an airport baggage hall, but on October 28 it was a musical. Most decoys work by giving one word two plausible homes.
5. Solve the clearest group, then the rest is forced. Once one group of three is locked, only six words remain, and they split into two groups of three in just ten ways.

These habits carry over to the daily puzzle too. For more, read our Connections tips and strategy guide.

When Does Connections 3x3 Come Out?

A new Connections 3x3 is released every Wednesday as part of the NYT Bonus drop. NYT labels each drop by month and week, such as "November Week 2", and you'll see that label on the ticket at the top of this page.

We update this page as soon as the new drop is live on Wednesday, US Eastern time. Earlier sets move into the archive below, so every Connections 3x3 answer stays available.

Drops are numbered from #1 on August 26, 2026, going up by one each week. The picture edition on October 21, 2026 was drop #9; NYT's data describes each picture, and we list them by those names.

Want the rest of the week's drop? Wordle in 1 answers has round-by-round hints, and the NYT Bonus Puzzles page covers the Strands variant and the Mystery Mini.

Past Connections 3x3 Answers

Every earlier Connections 3x3 set, newest first. Each row previews four of the nine words; open a week to see all three groups.

Connections 3x3 FAQ

What are this week's Connections 3x3 answers?

All three groups are at the top of this page. Each group has two hints first, one member word and the category with its letters masked, then a Reveal button.

Is Connections 3x3 easier than regular Connections?

It's smaller, not necessarily easier. There are only 280 ways to split the board, but every set so far has included one wordplay group, and decoy trios are common.

Is Connections 3x3 free?

The launch week was free to everyone. Since then NYT has marked each Bonus drop as a subscriber puzzle. The hints and answers here are free to read.

Can Connections 3x3 use pictures?

Yes. The October 21, 2026 set used pictures instead of words. We name each one using NYT's own description of the image.

Why is group 3 labeled "Trickiest"?

Because in all twelve Connections 3x3 sets so far, the third group in NYT's data has been the wordplay one: a hidden word, a sound-alike, a fill-in-the-blank or a lateral idea. The first two have been straight categories.

Can Connections 3x3 use symbols or emoji?

Yes. The September 9 set had a category called WHAT ✌️ MIGHT MEAN (PEACE, TWO, VICTORY), and the October 14 set used "=" as one of its nine cards, grouped with IS and COMES TO under TOTALS.

Who edits Connections 3x3?

Wyna Liu, the editor of daily Connections, is credited on every Connections 3x3 set so far.

Where can I find yesterday's daily Connections?

On our yesterday's Connections answer page. For the sports version, see Connections: Sports Edition hints.

More NYT Puzzle Answers