If NYT Connections answers do not match the puzzle you see, first check the date and puzzle number—not just whether a page calls it “today’s.” The New York Times says Connections is released at midnight in your timezone, so players in different time zones can be on different local calendar dates when they compare puzzles. Answer pages may also follow their own date conventions.
Why Connections can show different “today” puzzles
The NYT Games Help Center says the daily Connections game is released “at midnight in your timezone.” Midnight therefore arrives at different moments around the world. Two people comparing the game near that boundary may describe their puzzles as “today’s” and “yesterday’s,” even though each is using a local date. NYT Games Help Center: Connections; TechRadar’s September 29, 2026 guide.
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The word “today” on an answer page is not necessarily based on your local date. For example, the nyt.today guide says its current-day shortcut follows the U.S. Eastern Time calendar day. That is the guide’s convention, not a change to the NYT’s local-midnight release rule. nyt.today.
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- Check the game itself. Note the displayed date and puzzle number, if available.
- Match both identifiers on the answer page. Look for a guide labeled with the same date and number; do not rely on “today” alone. For example, TechRadar labeled its September 29, 2026 guide as game #1206. TechRadar’s guide.
- Check the guide’s timezone note. A site may use a reference timezone, such as U.S. Eastern Time, for its current-day link. Use that note to interpret the page date, then compare it with the date and number in your game. nyt.today.
- For an older puzzle, use the official archive if eligible. The NYT says its Connections archive includes puzzles dating back to June 12, 2023, and is available to All Access and Games subscribers. NYT Games Help Center.
What midnight means for a streak
The NYT Help Center warns that finishing a puzzle after midnight local time can break a streak and start a new one. It also says streaks are counted based on the puzzle played on its release day. If your streak status matters, follow the current guidance shown in the game or Help Center. NYT Games Help Center: Connections.
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