NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Wednesday, May 21.

      Connections is among the top puzzle games from The New York Times. The objective of the game is to categorize a set of 16 words into four hidden groups by discovering their relationships. The puzzle resets each night at midnight, offering varying levels of difficulty with each new challenge. Similar to Wordle, players can track their winning streaks and compare scores with friends.

      Some days present more challenges than others, much like other favorites from NYT Games, including The Mini and Strands. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle, consult our Connections tips and tricks guide for effective strategies, or check out the hints below for today’s Connections puzzle. If you're still stuck, we will provide today’s answers at the end.

      How to Play Connections

      Connections is a daily game centered around identifying common threads among words. Players need to select four groups of four words, allowing for no more than three mistakes. Play now. https://t.co/YITfSnqODb pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs

      — The New York Times (@nytimes) November 3, 2024

      You can play Connections on The New York Times website or via the NYT Games app on iOS or Android.

      In Connections, you’ll see a grid of 16 words, and your goal is to organize them into four sets of four by recognizing the connections between them. These sets could include categories like titles of video game franchises, sequels in book series, various shades of red, names of restaurant chains, and more.

      Some words may seem to belong to multiple categories, but there is only one completely correct solution. You can shuffle the word grid and rearrange it to better visualize potential 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 correct, the four words will disappear from the grid, and their connecting theme will be revealed. An incorrect guess counts as a mistake, and you have a maximum of four mistakes before the game concludes.

      Hints for Today’s Connections

      We can assist you in solving today’s Connections puzzle by providing the four themes. If you need additional help, we’ll also share one word from each group below.

      Today’s Themes:

      - PROHIBIT, AS ENTRY

      - FOLDERS ON A MAC

      - MEDICINE FORMATS

      - THINGS THAT OPEN LIKE A CLAM

      One-word Reveals:

      - PROHIBIT, AS ENTRY – BAR

      - FOLDERS ON A MAC – DESKTOP

      - MEDICINE FORMATS – CREAM

      - THINGS THAT OPEN LIKE A CLAM – CLAM

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections Answers

      Still having trouble? That’s alright; this puzzle is meant to be challenging. If you simply want to see today’s Connections answers, we have them listed below:

      - PROHIBIT, AS ENTRY – BAR, BLOCK, DENY, REFUSE

      - FOLDERS ON A MAC – DESKTOP, MUSIC, PICTURES, TRASH

      - MEDICINE FORMATS – CREAM, PATCH, SPRAY, TABLET

      - THINGS THAT OPEN LIKE A CLAM – CLAM, COMPACT, LAPTOP, WAFFLE IRON

      The grids for Connections vary significantly and change each day. If you weren’t able to solve today’s puzzle, make sure to check back tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs

      What time does the Connections puzzle reset?

      The puzzle updates daily at midnight local time.

      Who oversees the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles for The New York Times since 2020, is responsible for Connections on a daily basis.

      “A few months ago, I was assigned to create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been approved and needed an editor,” Liu explained in an article about her process in June 2024. “Most of my puzzle experience has been focused on crosswords, so I was thrilled to try something new. I’ve enjoyed discovering how puzzle editing unfolds once a game is approved, and seeing how our team fits into a broader ecosystem.”

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu shared a TikTok celebrating her favorite puzzles to date:

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