NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Wednesday, May 7.

      Connections is regarded as one of the premier puzzle games offered by the New York Times. The objective of the game is to categorize a set of 16 words into four secret groups by understanding how the words are related. Each night at midnight, the puzzle resets and the difficulty of each new puzzle varies. Similar to Wordle, players can track their winning streaks and compare scores with friends.

      Some days may present more challenges than others—reminiscent of other popular NYT Games such as The Mini and Strands. If you're finding today’s puzzle a bit difficult, you can refer to our Connections tips and tricks guide for strategies, or consult the hints provided below for today's Connections puzzle. If you’re still having trouble, we will share today’s answers at the end.

      **How to play Connections**

      Connections is a daily game aimed at discovering common themes among words. Players must select four groups of four words while making no more than three mistakes. You can play it now on the New York Times website or through the NYT Games app available on iOS or Android.

      In Connections, a grid featuring 16 words will be presented to you — your goal is to organize these words into four sets of four by pinpointing the connections that bind them. These groups may include categories such as video game franchises, sequential book series, shades of red, and names of chain restaurants, among others.

      Often, there are words that could belong to more than one category, but only one definitive solution exists. You can shuffle the grid of words and rearrange them to get a better perspective on possible connections.

      Each group is color-coded: the yellow group is the easiest to identify, followed by green, blue, and purple groups.

      Select four words and click Submit. If your selection is correct, those four words will be eliminated from the grid and the theme linking them will be disclosed. An incorrect guess counts as a mistake, with only four mistakes allowed before the game concludes.

      **Hints for today’s Connections**

      We can assist you with today’s Connections by revealing the four themes. If you need additional help, we will also provide one word from each category below.

      **Today’s themes:**

      - GET BETTER, AS A BROKEN BONE

      - NOT INCLUDING

      - TAROT MINOR ARCANA SUITS

      - HOMOPHONES OF GEMSTONES

      **One-answer reveals:**

      - GET BETTER, AS A BROKEN BONE – HEAL

      - NOT INCLUDING – BESIDES

      - TAROT MINOR ARCANA SUITS – CUPS

      - HOMOPHONES OF GEMSTONES – CHORAL

      **New York Times**

      **Today’s Connections answers**

      Still struggling? That’s understandable. This puzzle is intended to be challenging. If you simply wish to see today’s Connections answers, they are provided below:

      - GET BETTER, AS A BROKEN BONE – HEAL, KNIT, MEND, RECOVER

      - NOT INCLUDING – BESIDES, BUT, EXCEPT, SAVE

      - TAROT MINOR ARCANA SUITS – CUPS, PENTACLES, SWORDS, WANDS

      - HOMOPHONES OF GEMSTONES – CHORAL, OPEL, PURL, QUARTS

      Connections grids vary significantly and change daily. If you were unable to solve today’s puzzle, be sure to return tomorrow.

      **NYT Connection FAQs**

      **When does the Connections puzzle reset?**

      The puzzle resets daily at midnight local time.

      **Who is the editor for the NYT Connections game?**

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, oversees the daily Connections game.

      “A few months back, I received a new assignment: to create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been approved and was looking for an editor,” Liu noted in an article discussing her process in June 2024. "Most of my puzzle experience has been focused on crosswords, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to explore something new. I’ve enjoyed gaining insight into how puzzle editing unfolds once a game is approved, and understanding how our team fits into a larger framework.”

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections' launch earlier this year, Liu shared a TikTok featuring her favorite puzzles so far:

      @thegamesteam ? happy one year anniversary to connections, our newest official NYT game ? #nytgames #nytconnections #nyt ♬ The Kite Live by Luisa Marion – luisa_marion_music