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Spoiler-safeMay 21, 2026Puzzle #1075

NYT Connections Hints and Answers for May 21, 2026

The May 21, 2026 Connections board mixes desserts, tennis language, body-related slang, and mustard phrases, with several food words creating persuasive but incomplete combinations.

Guide editorSofia RamirezEditor

Start here

Take one step at a time

4 groups
Pie varietiesEasy once CHESS is interpreted as food rather than a board game.
Rear-end associationsModerate because the relationship mixes slang, imagery, and a train part.
Tennis score vocabularyEasy for solvers familiar with tennis, but the words look unrelated outside the sport.
Words before mustardHard because COLONEL is less immediately suggestive than the flavor and color terms.

Need more than a hint?

Get a spoiler-safe solving plan

Use three general checks to make progress without seeing a category or answer.

Open today’s solving plan
  1. Prefer an exact rule.A shared topic is only a lead. Look for four words connected in the same precise way.
  2. Find the least flexible word.Use the word with the narrowest meaning to place words that could belong in several groups.
  3. Test the grammar.If the leftovers look unrelated, try placing one common word before or after each answer.

Reveal guide

Choose only as much help as you need

Every group has its own ladder. Opening one level never exposes another group.

  1. 1
    Start with a small hint

    Get a gentle nudge without seeing the category or its words.

  2. 2
    Ask for a stronger hint

    Use a more specific clue before revealing the category.

  3. 3
    Reveal only what you choose

    Open the category, then the four words only when you are ready.

You remain in control. You can move between levels without revealing the rest of the puzzle.

Practice board guide

Try a group without risking your streak

This scratchpad checks your thinking locally. It never sends a guess to the official puzzle.

  1. 1
    Choose four words

    Tap any four tiles that share one precise connection.

  2. 2
    Check the set

    Once four are selected, press “Check these four.”

  3. 3
    Keep it or adjust

    A correct group is confirmed. If it misses, swap one word or open a hint.

Nothing here affects an official streak. Clear the board at any time and try another four.

Today’s puzzle explained

Connections #1075 overview

The board's central misdirection comes from overlapping food signals: PECAN and PUMPKIN are pies, HONEY and HOT precede MUSTARD, and PEACH belongs to the body-association group. CHESS is also positioned to suggest a game category before its pie usage becomes relevant.

Overall difficultyModerate, with familiar categories disguised by food, game, and color overlaps.Biggest trapPEACH, PUMPKIN, PECAN, and HONEY encourage a broad food grouping, while CHESS can pull attention toward games alongside the tennis vocabulary.Best first moveStart with ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY, and LOVE because all four belong to the same specialized scoring system.

Why the board is deceptive

The cleanest entry point is the set of four unmistakable tennis scoring terms, which removes several abstract-looking words from the board.

After the tennis set is gone, separate pie names from the food decoys, then use the remaining phrase completions and body-related associations.

Open the clean solving route

One way through the board

Lock in the tennis scoring vocabulary first, test CHESS with the three clear pie fillings, and then recognize the four words that can precede MUSTARD before resolving the remaining association set.

Spoilers below

Today’s groups and answers

Each group stays hidden until you choose to open it. Reveal one at a time, or keep this section closed while you continue solving.

Pie varietiesReveal this group

What connects CHESS, PECAN, PUMPKIN and SHOOFLY?

CHESS · PECAN · PUMPKIN · SHOOFLY

KINDS OF PIES. Each word is a type of pie: CHESS, PECAN, PUMPKIN, SHOOFLY all complete familiar names of pies.

Best anchor: Four varieties found on a pie list

Rear-end associationsReveal this group

What connects CABOOSE, CAN, MOON and PEACH?

CABOOSE · CAN · MOON · PEACH

THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS. CABOOSE, CAN, MOON, and PEACH are each associated with a butt through rear-position imagery, slang, or visual comparison.

Best anchor: Rear-related slang and imagery

Tennis score vocabularyReveal this group

What connects ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY and LOVE?

ADVANTAGE · DEUCE · FORTY · LOVE

TENNIS SCORING TERMS. ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY, and LOVE are all terms used when announcing or describing the score in tennis.

Best anchor: Vocabulary used to track a tennis game

Words before mustardReveal this group

What connects COLONEL, HONEY, HOT and YELLOW?

COLONEL · HONEY · HOT · YELLOW

___ MUSTARD. The source category for MUSTARD is formed by each entry: COLONEL MUSTARD, HONEY MUSTARD, HOT MUSTARD and YELLOW MUSTARD.

Best anchor: Four phrases completed by MUSTARD

How to solve this Connections puzzle

The thinking route, not just the answers

Use today’s anchor words as a repeatable method: secure an exact group, remove it, and let the remaining board become more specific.

  1. 1
    KINDS OF PIES

    Four varieties found on a pie list

  2. 2
    THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS

    Rear-related slang and imagery

  3. 3
    TENNIS SCORING TERMS

    Vocabulary used to track a tennis game

  4. 4
    ___ MUSTARD

    Four phrases completed by MUSTARD

Mental model to reuse tomorrow

Exact relationship beats shared topic

Weak rule“These words feel related.”A broad topic can support several tempting but unstable groups.

Strong rule“The same test works for all four.”One precise relationship should explain every answer in the same way.

Today’s best first move: Start with ADVANTAGE, DEUCE, FORTY, and LOVE because all four belong to the same specialized scoring system..

Build your solving vocabulary

Four anchors worth spotting

An anchor is the least flexible word in a possible group. It often exposes the intended relationship before the more ambiguous words do.

Easy once CHESS is interpreted as food rather than a board game. groupPie varieties
KINDS OF PIES: Four varieties found on a pie list
Moderate because the relationship mixes slang, imagery, and a train part. groupRear-end associations
THINGS ASSOCIATED WITH BUTTS: Rear-related slang and imagery
Easy for solvers familiar with tennis, but the words look unrelated outside the sport. groupTennis score vocabulary
TENNIS SCORING TERMS: Vocabulary used to track a tennis game
Hard because COLONEL is less immediately suggestive than the flavor and color terms. groupWords before mustard
___ MUSTARD: Four phrases completed by MUSTARD

Questions players ask

Connections help without extra spoilers

I’m stuck. Which hint should I open first?

Start with the small hint for the group you feel closest to solving. Use the stronger hint only if the first nudge is not enough, then reveal the category or four words when you want confirmation.

What should I do when five words seem to belong together?

Assume one is a red herring. Look for the word with a strong second meaning, then test whether it forms a cleaner group elsewhere.

What does “Test a group” do?

Select four words and choose “Check these four” to see whether your grouping works. It stays on this page and never submits a guess to the official puzzle or affects a streak.

Do I need to solve the groups in difficulty order?

No. Start with the clearest exact set. Removing an obvious group often exposes the overlapping meanings and wordplay in the harder groups.

Can I check one answer without spoiling the whole puzzle?

Yes. Every group opens independently, so you can reveal one hint, category or set of four words while keeping the other groups hidden.

About the guide editor

Sofia Ramirez

Sofia verifies puzzle dates, public numbers, source facts and the archive details that keep daily guides reliable.

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