NYT Connections: clues and solutions for Monday, May 26

      Connections is one of the top puzzle games offered by the New York Times. The objective of the game is to categorize a selection of 16 words into four secret groups by determining the relationships between the words. Each puzzle resets at midnight, and the difficulty can vary with each new challenge. Similar to Wordle, players can track their winning streaks and compare scores with friends.

      Some puzzles can be more challenging than others, much like other favorites from NYT Games such as The Mini and Strands. If you’re facing difficulty with today’s puzzle, you can refer to our guide for tips and strategies, or check out the hints for today's Connections puzzle below. If you're still unable to solve it, we will provide the answers at the end.

      How to play Connections

      Connections is a daily game focused on discovering common links between words. Players must choose four groups of four words without exceeding three mistakes. Play now at https://t.co/YITfSnqODb pic.twitter.com/CqObVOqeUs

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

      You can access Connections on the New York Times website or through the NYT Games app, available on both iOS and Android platforms.

      In Connections, you will see a grid of 16 words, and your mission is to arrange these words into four groups of four by identifying the connections that unite them. These groups may relate to themes such as video game titles, book series, shades of red, chain restaurant names, etc.

      Some words may seem to fit various categories, but there is only one completely correct combination. You can shuffle the grid and rearrange the words to help identify potential connections. Each group is color-coded, with the yellow group being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple.

      To play, select four words and click Submit. If your selection is correct, those words are removed from the grid and their connecting theme is shown. If you guess incorrectly, it counts as a mistake. You can make up to four mistakes before the game concludes.

      Hints for today’s Connections

      We can assist you in solving today’s Connection puzzle by providing the four themes. If you require further help, we will also give you one word from each group.

      Today's themes

      1. ITEMS IN A LINEN CLOSET

      2. DIAMETRIC

      3. LINGERIE

      4. CARD GAMES WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED

      One-answer reveals

      1. ITEMS IN A LINEN CLOSET – PILLOWCASE

      2. DIAMETRIC – COUNTER

      3. LINGERIE – GARTER

      4. CARD GAMES WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED – DIN

      New York Times

      Today's Connections answers

      Still having trouble? That’s perfectly fine. This puzzle is intended to be challenging. If you just want today's Connections answer, here it is:

      1. ITEMS IN A LINEN CLOSET – PILLOWCASE, SHEET, TOWEL, WASHCLOTH

      2. DIAMETRIC – COUNTER, OPPOSITE, POLAR, REVERSE

      3. LINGERIE – GARTER, HOSE, SLIP, TEDDY

      4. CARD GAMES WITH FIRST LETTER CHANGED – DIN, FRIDGE, GUMMY, JOKER

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

      NYT Connection FAQs

      What time does the Connections puzzle reset?

      The puzzle resets every day at midnight local time.

      Who is the editor of the NYT Connections game?

      Wyna Liu, who has been editing puzzles at The New York Times since 2020, edits Connections daily. "A few months ago, a new assignment came to me: Create the game boards for Connections, a category matching game that had recently been approved and needed an editor," Liu explained in an article detailing her process in June 2024. Most of my experience with puzzles has been in crosswords, so I was excited to try something new. I’ve enjoyed learning how puzzle editing works once a game is approved and seeing how our team fits into the larger framework."

      On the one-year anniversary of Connections launching earlier this year, Liu shared this TikTok highlighting her favorite puzzles thus 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