Yellow
Puzzle #10744 groupsUpdated daily
Connections answers and hints today — May 21, 2026
Tap to reveal spoiler-free hints, category titles, and answers one at a time.
Puzzle
#1074
Groups
4
Words
16
Mistakes allowed
4
Sort the 16 words into 4 groups of 4. Start with what feels obvious — yellow is the easiest, purple is the trickiest. Use hints below if you get stuck.
How to use these Connections hints
- Start with the yellow group to build momentum. The themes are usually concrete categories such as months, first names, or parts of a set.
- Shuffle the remaining words mentally and look for wordplay. The blue and purple tiers often hide homophones, shared suffixes, or pop culture references.
- Only reveal what you need. Flash the hint if you want direction, then turn the title over when you are ready to confirm your guess.
- Log your streak. Consistency matters for the NYT leaderboard, and seeing how often each category trips you up will sharpen tomorrow's approach.
What do the Connections colors mean?
Each color in NYT Connections represents a difficulty level. Yellow is the easiest category with straightforward groupings. Green is slightly harder with less obvious connections. Blue requires lateral thinking and may involve wordplay. Purple is the hardest category, often featuring tricky wordplay, hidden patterns, or niche cultural references that deliberately mislead solvers.
| Color | Difficulty | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow | Easiest | Concrete categories like types of food, first names, or everyday objects |
| Green | Medium | Slightly abstract groupings that require recognizing shared traits |
| Blue | Hard | Lateral thinking required, may involve synonyms or double meanings |
| Purple | Hardest | Tricky wordplay, hidden prefixes/suffixes, or niche pop culture |
How many mistakes can you make in Connections?
You get exactly 4 mistakes in NYT Connections. Each incorrect guess costs one life, and the game ends when all four are used. The "one away" warning means three of your four selected words are correct but the fourth belongs in a different group. Start with the yellow (easiest) category to preserve your mistakes for the trickier purple group.
What time does Connections reset?
NYT Connections resets daily at midnight Eastern Time (ET). A brand-new 16-word grid goes live at 12:00 AM ET every day, seven days a week. Our hints are published shortly after the reset so you can get help from the moment the puzzle is available.
Looking for today's Connections answers? Every set of four words shares a hidden relationship. We present the same structure as the official puzzle in a spoiler-controlled layout so you can scan for clues without accidentally seeing the full solution. Tap the yellow hint first for the easiest group, or jump straight to the tricky purple quadrant.
These Connections hints update seven days a week. Once you finish, browse the Connections puzzle archive to revisit earlier puzzles, or try the Sports Connections hint for a sports-themed challenge. Practicing older grids sharpens your ability to spot synonyms, wordplay, and pop culture categories.
Want the original experience? Head over to play Connections #1074 on our mirror of the daily grid, then come back for the answer check. We also cover Wordle answer today, Strands hints, Letter Boxed answers, Spelling Bee hints, and Mini Crossword hints. For deeper strategy, check out our puzzle strategy guides.
Yesterday's Solution — May 20, 2026
STOVE KNOB SETTINGSPOTENCYMUSIC THEORY CONCEPTS"___ DAY" MOVIES
Tricky Words in Today's Connections
▼Definitions for the most unusual words in today's puzzle
Tricky Words in Today's Connections
▼Yellow group — KINDS OF PIES
Why is “SHOOFLY” in the Yellow group?
a type of molasses pie, often served at Pennsylvania Dutch gatherings
Green group — THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS
Why is “CABOOSE” in the Green group?
the last car on a freight train, also known as a guard's van
Word definitions
Tricky words in today's Connections (May 21, 2026)
Several words in today's puzzle have multiple meanings or obscure definitions that can throw you off. Here's what each one means in the context of this Connections grid.
- LOVE
- Definition: a tennis scoring term
- Why it's tricky: has multiple meanings, including a strong affection
- CAN
- Definition: a container, or a verb meaning able to
- Why it's tricky: has multiple meanings and uses
- MOON
- Definition: to expose one's buttocks
- Why it's tricky: has multiple meanings, including a celestial body
- DEUCE
- Definition: a tennis scoring term
- Why it's tricky: has multiple meanings, including a card game term
NYT Connections #1074 · May 21, 2026
Daily recap and standout traps
The yellow opener, KINDS OF PIES, set the pace early, while the purple collection "___ MUSTARD" demanded the cleanest logic. Use this write-up to remember where you burned guesses, coach friends who are still stuck, and spot category patterns that have been resurfacing all week.
KINDS OF PIES
Words: CHESS, PECAN, PUMPKIN, SHOOFLY
Hint recap: think dessert
THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS
Words: CABOOSE, CAN, MOON, PEACH
Hint recap: think rear ends
TENNIS SCORING TERMS
Words: ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY, LOVE
Hint recap: think tennis matches
___ MUSTARD
Words: COLONEL, HONEY, HOT, YELLOW
Hint recap: think condiments
Finish logging today's results, then keep your streak alive in the Connections archive or switch gears with the NYT Wordle guide. We refresh this recap each morning so there's always a dated write-up to revisit alongside your own notes.
Connections #1074 explained
Why these words connect (May 21, 2026)
Understanding the logic behind each group helps you spot similar patterns in future puzzles. Here's the reasoning for every category in today's Connections.
Yellow group: KINDS OF PIES
These are all types of sweet or savory pies, often served as desserts or side dishes, including classic flavors like PECAN and PUMPKIN, as well as more obscure types like SHOOFLY
Green group: THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS
These are all words related to the backside or buttocks, including slang terms like MOON and words for objects found near the rear of things, such as CABOOSE
Blue group: TENNIS SCORING TERMS
These are all terms used to describe scores or situations in the sport of tennis, including LOVE, which means zero, and DEUCE, which means the score is tied at 40-40
Purple group: ___ MUSTARD
These are all types of mustard, including COLONEL, which is a brand, and HONEY, which is a flavor, as well as HOT and YELLOW, which describe the level of heat or color
Red herrings and trap words explained
These words were designed to mislead you. Understanding why they don't belong where you first think sharpens your game for tomorrow.
“HOT”
Seems like it belongs to: THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS
Actually belongs to: ___ MUSTARD
HOT seems like it could be related to butts, but it's actually a type of mustard
“PEACH”
Seems like it belongs to: KINDS OF PIES
Actually belongs to: THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS
PEACH seems like it could be a type of pie, but it's actually related to butts, possibly due to the phrase 'peachy keen'
Today's Tricky Traps — Red Herrings Explained
These words look like they belong in one group but actually fit somewhere else entirely.
Why “HOT” didn't go with THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS
Seems like: THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS → Actually: ___ MUSTARD
HOT seems like it could be related to butts, but it's actually a type of mustard
Why “PEACH” didn't go with KINDS OF PIES
Seems like: KINDS OF PIES → Actually: THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS
PEACH seems like it could be a type of pie, but it's actually related to butts, possibly due to the phrase 'peachy keen'
Connections hints and answers — your daily companion
Connections Hintz is written by word-game obsessives who track every official New York Times puzzle. We log the categories, note sneaky traps, and chart how difficulty shifts through the week so you know what to expect before you tap your first guess. If you are chasing a perfect streak or just want a quick nudge, our blend of spoiler-free hints and full answers keeps you in control.
Beyond the grid, we examine trends: which connections reappear, how holiday themes influence the word list, and the subtle ways the editors remix trivia, vocabulary, and pop culture. That added context improves your pattern recognition and gives you a head start on tomorrow's puzzle.
Daily coverage
Hints publish with the puzzle, including reset reminders and links to play today's Connections.
Strategy notes
Learn proven tactics for each difficulty tier, plus breakdowns of archived themes.
More NYT games
Jump to fresh guides for Wordle, Strands, Mini Crossword, Letter Boxed, and the Sports Edition.
Sources & References
- NYT Connections — Official Connections puzzle page
- NYT Games FAQ — Official support and game rules from the New York Times
- NYT Games — Official New York Times puzzle hub
- NYT Games (Wikipedia) — History and overview of all NYT puzzle games
All NYT Games
Daily NYT Games Companion
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Connections answers and hints
Get clarity on gameplay rules, release times, strategy tips, and how our hints can help you maintain a perfect streak without spoiling the fun.
- Today's Connections answers are listed in the hint section above. We reveal all four groups (Yellow, Green, Blue, and Purple) with their category titles and the four words in each group. Scroll up to the puzzle section and tap "Reveal" to see today's full answers.
- The Purple group is always the hardest in NYT Connections. It typically features multi-step wordplay, hidden patterns, or niche cultural references designed to mislead solvers. Check our hints above for a spoiler-free clue about today's Purple category before revealing the full answer.
- Each morning the New York Times releases a fresh 16-word grid. We publish Connections hints and solutions at the same time so you can compare your work, confirm the group titles, or get gentle nudges without spoiling the entire puzzle.
- We solve and upload the daily hints before sunrise Eastern Time. If the grid is especially tricky, check back mid-morning for strategic notes. You can always view older solutions in our Connections archive.
- Group the 16 words into four sets of four. Each set shares a hidden connection—sometimes a simple category like colors, other times a wordplay-based theme. Only one solution works, so swap words between groups until every slot locks in. You can practise in our Connections play area.
- The game warns "one away" when three of your chosen words belong together, but the fourth belongs in another category. Use that clue to swap in a different word from the pool that fits the theme you identified.
- You get four strikes total. Each incorrect guess costs one strike, and when they are gone the puzzle ends. Our graded hints let you avoid burning attempts while still piecing the categories together yourself.
- The purple tier is intentionally deceptive. Expect multi-step wordplay, overlapping meanings, or niche pop culture references. Scan for shared suffixes, alternate pronunciations, and punny interpretations to crack it.
- Absolutely. Browse our complete Connections archive to study earlier grids, review solution breakdowns, and practice solving without the daily time pressure.
- A new NYT Connections puzzle arrives every day at midnight Eastern Time. Refresh shortly after the reset to see the latest words and our updated hints.
- Track the categories that trip you up, memorise recurring constructions (such as shared prefixes), and play other NYT word games to stay sharp. We recommend warming up with the Mini Crossword or Spelling Bee before you tackle Connections.
- Yes. Alongside Connections we provide daily answers and hints for Wordle, Strands, Spelling Bee, Mini Crossword, Letter Boxed, and the Sports Connections.
- Each color represents a difficulty level. Yellow is the easiest with straightforward categories. Green is slightly harder. Blue requires lateral thinking and may involve wordplay. Purple is the hardest, featuring tricky wordplay, hidden prefixes or suffixes, and niche cultural references designed to mislead solvers.
- The Connections archive is our complete database of every NYT Connections puzzle since the game launched in June 2023. Browse any past puzzle to study categories, review tricky groupings, and practice solving without daily time pressure. Each archived entry includes hints, answers, and category breakdowns.
- Yes, NYT Connections is free to play on the New York Times website and app. You do not need a New York Times subscription to access the daily Connections puzzle. However, some other NYT games like the full Crossword require a Games subscription.
- Connections difficulty tends to increase as the week progresses. Monday and Tuesday puzzles are generally more straightforward with concrete categories. Wednesday through Friday puzzles introduce more wordplay and abstract connections. Weekend puzzles vary but often feature playful or thematic twists tied to current events or holidays.