NYT Games - Apr. 15, 2026

Okay, so you've seen my solutions for today's NYT Games, and maybe you're wondering how to get that 'PERFECT!' score more often, or how I managed to get 'PHEW!' for Wordle. Being a 'wordwiser' isn't just about knowing the answers, it's about developing strategies! Let's talk Wordle first. My go-to strategy usually involves starting with a word rich in vowels and common consonants like 'CRANE' or 'ADIEU'. This helps me eliminate or confirm several letters quickly. After the first guess, I focus on using words that test the remaining common letters. For example, if I know there's an 'E' but don't know its position, I'll try a word with 'E' in a different spot. And always remember letter frequency – 'E', 'A', 'R', 'I', 'O', 'T', 'N', 'S' are your best friends! Sometimes, even when you have many letters, finding the right combination can be tricky, leading to that 'PHEW!' moment when you finally get it. Strands can be super challenging, especially finding that Spangram! My approach usually starts with scanning the board for obvious words related to a theme. For 'birth stone,' I'd be looking for names of gems. If I can't find anything immediately, I start looking for common prefixes or suffixes, or even just interesting letter clusters that might form part of a longer word. Don't be afraid to try words that seem out of place – sometimes the theme is more abstract than you think. The key is to keep an open mind and remember that words can go in any direction. Once you get a few words, the theme usually becomes clearer, making the Spangram easier to spot. Connections is all about those 'aha!' moments. I usually read through all 16 words a few times, trying to spot any immediate pairs or groups of three. My strategy often involves looking for synonyms, homophones, or categories. Sometimes the groups are obvious, like types of fruit, but other times they're much trickier, involving wordplay or puns. For instance, a green category might be 'words that can precede "ball".' If I'm stuck, I try to categorize words by their general meaning or even their number of letters, just to shake things up. The purple category is always the hardest for me; it often involves abstract concepts or very specific, obscure links. It's a real triumph when "that purple just happened," as I mentioned! Ultimately, practice makes perfect. The more you play these games, the more you'll develop an intuition for patterns and word associations. Don't get discouraged if you don't get 'PERFECT!' every time. Just keep playing, learning from your mistakes, and you'll become a true 'wordwiser' in no time!