NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Thursday, May 22.

      Connections is among the top puzzle games offered by the New York Times. The objective of the game is to categorize a set of 16 words into four hidden groups by determining how the words are related. Each night at midnight, the puzzle resets, featuring a varying level of difficulty for each new challenge. Similar to Wordle, players can track their winning streaks and compare their scores with friends.

      Some days present more of a challenge than others, much like other popular NYT Games such as The Mini and Strands. If you're struggling to solve today's puzzle, refer to our Connections tips and tricks guide for effective strategies or check out the hints for today’s Connections puzzle listed below. If you're still having trouble, we will reveal today’s answers at the end.

      How to Play Connections

      Connections is a daily game focused on identifying common links between words. Players need to select four groups of four words while making no more than three mistakes. Play now. [URL]

      You can access Connections on the New York Times website or through the NYT Games app available on iOS and Android. In Connections, a grid of 16 words is presented, and your goal is to arrange these words into four sets of four by recognizing the ties that connect them. These sets may represent categories such as video game franchise titles, sequels in book series, shades of red, names of chain restaurants, and more.

      In general, some words may seem capable of fitting multiple themes, but there is only one entirely correct solution for each puzzle. You have the option to shuffle and rearrange the grid to help identify the potential connections more clearly.

      Each group is color-coded, with the yellow group being the easiest to identify, followed by green, blue, and purple groups. Choose four words and click Submit. If correct, those words will be removed from the grid, and their theme will be disclosed. A wrong guess will count as a mistake, with a maximum allowance of four mistakes before the game concludes.

      Hints for Today’s Connections

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

      Today's Themes:

      FINE PRINT

      CHARACTERS WITH GREEN SKIN

      FEATURES IN THE NATIONAL MALL IN D.C.

      FAMOUS RIDDLE-GIVERS

      One-answer Reveals:

      FINE PRINT – ASTERISK

      CHARACTERS WITH GREEN SKIN – ELPHABA

      FEATURES IN THE NATIONAL MALL IN D.C. – CAPITOL

      FAMOUS RIDDLE-GIVERS – BRIDGE TROLL

      New York Times

      Today’s Connections Answers

      Not successful yet? That’s perfectly fine. This puzzle is meant to be challenging. If you prefer to see today’s Connections answers, they are as follows:

      FINE PRINT – ASTERISK, CATCH, CONDITION, STRINGS

      CHARACTERS WITH GREEN SKIN – ELPHABA, GRINCH, HULK, SHREK

      FEATURES IN THE NATIONAL MALL IN D.C. – CAPITOL, MALL, OBELISK, POOL

      FAMOUS RIDDLE-GIVERS – BRIDGE TROLL, MAD HATTER, RIDDLER, SPHINX

      Connections grids vary greatly and are updated daily. If you couldn’t solve today’s puzzle, be sure to return tomorrow.

      NYT Connection FAQs

      What time does the Connections puzzle refresh?

      The puzzle resets daily at midnight local time.

      Who is responsible for editing the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles for The New York Times since 2020, oversees Connections every day. “A few months ago, a new assignment came my way: create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been approved and needed an editor,” Liu stated in an article about her editing process in June 2024. Most of my experience has been with crosswords, and I was excited to take on something new. I’ve enjoyed understanding how puzzle editing unfolds once a game is approved and seeing how our team contributes to the larger puzzle ecosystem.”

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections' launch earlier this year, Liu shared a TikTok showcasing 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