The recent NYT Connections puzzle featured a clue that has players scratching their heads: the rotary clipper. Why does this seemingly random phrase fit so neatly into a category of phrases ending with NBA team names? The answer lies in the clever design of the puzzle itself.
Published on April 27, 2026, as puzzle #1051, it presented players with four distinct thematic groups: salad ingredients, classic films, The Simpsons characters, and phrases that concluded with surnames shared by NBA players. Among these was the rotary clipper, which fits snugly alongside other answers like Raging Bull and Regina King.
Each answer in this particular group ended with a name associated with an NBA team—an intriguing twist that adds a layer of complexity to puzzle solving. “The puzzle for April 27 came with hints that pointed players toward several very different categories,” noted one player who found the challenge both delightful and perplexing.
Sorting 16 words into four groups without labeled categories requires not only knowledge but also keen insight into how words interconnect. As one puzzler put it, “In a puzzle where every clue began with R, the challenge was not just knowing the words, but seeing how they fit together inside the same frame.” This speaks to the essence of word games—finding patterns hidden in plain sight.
The game has gained popularity since its launch in June 2023, joining the ranks of other beloved puzzles like Wordle and crosswords. With its color-coded difficulty system—yellow being the easiest and purple the hardest—players can gauge their progress as they tackle each new challenge.
After completing a puzzle, many fans rely on the Connections Bot to track their scores and progress. This feature has made sharing successes (and frustrations) easier among friends and fellow enthusiasts alike. Players eagerly await each day’s new set of words, wondering what patterns will emerge next.
The rotary clipper may have led some down a rabbit hole of misdirection this time, but it also leaves behind a familiar question for tomorrow: what pattern will be hiding in plain sight? As puzzlers prepare for their next challenge, they remain engaged by the thrill of discovery—and perhaps a little more cautious about clues that seem too straightforward.
