NYT Connections Answers Today (April 21): Spirals, Spreadsheets & Surprises

NYT Connections Answers Today: If you're scratching your head over today's New York Times Connections puzzle, you're not alone. Puzzle #679, released on Monday, April 21, has left many players spinning — especially with its deceptively simple words and sneaky themes. But don’t worry, we’ve broken it down to help you navigate the twists and turns.

Four Words, One Theme — Sounds Easy, Right?

The premise of the Connections game sounds straightforward: group 16 words into four sets of four, with each set linked by a shared theme. But the catch? Not all connections are obvious. Some are designed to mislead, and the penalty for error is steep — four wrong guesses and it’s game over.

Today's grid includes: Cell, Iron, Twist, Sheet, Spring, Wrench, Protein, Corkscrew, Dna, Curveball, Column, Sodium, Bombshell, Row, Fat, Fusilli

It’s a mix that seems all over the place — until you start to notice patterns. And yes, one group involves pasta. Kind of.

HINTS TO HELP YOU CONNECT THE DOTS

Need a nudge? Here’s how the day’s themes break down:

  • Yellow: Think about what you find on the back of your cereal box.
  • Green: Words that represent the unexpected curveballs of life.
  • Blue: Familiar terms if you’ve ever worked with Excel or Google Sheets.
  • Purple: Everything here has a bit of a spiral to it — literally.

Two extra hints? “Only the yellow theme doesn't contain a word starting with 'C',” and “Cell” and “DNA” don’t belong in the same category.

Breaking Down the Answers

Here’s the full solution, if you’ve had enough trying:

  • Yellow (Info On A Nutrition Label): Fat, Iron, Protein, Sodium
  • Green (Metaphor For Something Unexpected): Bombshell, Curveball, Twist, Wrench
  • Blue (Things You Can Insert Into A Spreadsheet): Cell, Column, Row, Sheet
  • Purple (Helical Things): Corkscrew, DNA, Fusilli, Spring

No made-up categories here — these are the official NYT themes.

The Connections team warns that while the game looks easy, it can get surprisingly tricky. And if you're wondering whether "Cell" belongs with "DNA" — spoiler alert — it doesn't. Red herrings are part of the challenge.

So whether you’re here for a brain boost or a brief moment of panic before your coffee kicks in, today’s Connections puzzle proves once again that the NYT knows how to keep word lovers guessing.

Ready to take on tomorrow’s puzzle? Just don’t forget: sometimes, the most obvious connections are just there to throw you off.

technology